


Amaretto

by TimmyJaybird



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Chobits AU, F/F, F/M, Fluff and silliness, M/M, Persocom Hannibal, canon style violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-03
Updated: 2014-07-23
Packaged: 2018-02-07 08:42:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1892553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimmyJaybird/pseuds/TimmyJaybird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On his way home from a long, late shift at work, Will finds a Persocom discarded and left as trash. Intrigued and thrilled, he brings it home, only to realize it may not be in fully functional order. With the help of his friends Beverly and Brian, he endeavors to get Hannibal up and running like a brand new store-bought model- only to find that everything about the Persocom is not at all what it seems-<br/>And that brings him to truly question what makes us human.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I said I was going to do it, and dammit, I am! A Chobits AU! I've decided to go with slightly shorter chapters, in the hopes I will update more frequently (we'll see if life allows for that).
> 
> Some important stuff:  
> It isn't a requirement that you read and/or watch Chobits before you read this. However, you may want to read up on what a [Persocom](http://chobits.wikia.com/wiki/Persocom) is at least. If you're curious about the story line of the anime/manga, you can read up on it on the [Wiki page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chobits). (Note: reading the summary will not spoil the fic. I intend to take elements from the manga I enjoy, but it will not be an exact retelling). If you are interested in reading the entire thing, you can find it [here](http://www.mangareader.net/186/chobits.html).
> 
> Also, I have had some lovely people draw Persocom!Hannibal for me while I was planning this, and I feel everyone deserves to see him and the adorableness that you are in for:  
> [Ms-Margot-Verger](http://ms-margot-verger.tumblr.com/) drew him _four_ times! [one](http://madnizilla.tumblr.com/post/89231106655/ms-margot-verger-shhh-i-didnt-doodle) [two](http://madnizilla.tumblr.com/post/89233378555/ms-margot-verger-cant-stop-too-cute-another) [three](http://madnizilla.tumblr.com/post/89255238040/ms-margot-verger-last-one-for-the-night-ill) [four](http://madnizilla.tumblr.com/post/89898280770/ms-margot-verger-madnizilla-heres-persocom)  
>  Also, the wonderful [Bansheegrahamtao](http://bansheegrahamtao.tumblr.com/) drew him [once](http://madnizilla.tumblr.com/post/89311728165/bansheegrahamtao-madnizilla-okay-i-really) too!!

Will’s hands were stuffed into his pockets, one fiddling with the smooth corner of his phone as he walked with his head down against the wind. His scarf was wrapped up high along his neck in big, thick loops, keeping the late autumn chill at bay, intensified by the fact that it was _damn near one AM_. Will’s eyes were aching, tired, and he didn’t want to think about getting up ever again. But that was a usual feeling in his life.

Will rounded the corner, only a few blocks from home, and let his eyes roam away from the street, the street lights that seemed to aggravate the ache behind his eyes, and peered down an alley. He slowed, stopping, as his eyes roamed over what looked like a bare foot sticking out from beside the dumpster. For a moment he went rigid, muscles tense as his mind went over the countless possibilities of a crazed killer lurking in the shadows, leaving trails of bloodied and mutilated bodies behind, jut waiting to sink a knife into his belly and leave him ripped open in the streets-

Will shook his head. _Cool it Graham. You’re exhausted. It can’t be a body_. He turned, cut down the alley, tentatively circling around the dumpster, then reaching up to cover his mouth, dislodging his hands from his pockets, his phone tumbling out from his pocket and smacking on the ground. He took a step back, his mind going right back to his serial killer fantasy as he stared at the naked body left slumped among the excess plastic bags-

_Except there’s no blood?_ Will lowered his hands, slowly, tilted his head, couldn’t find a drop of crimson on the smooth, even skin he saw, or on any of the odd wrapping that was around the body, like bandages holding him together.

It was only when Will lingered on his face, noticed the white and pink protrusions from the side of his head, that he _understood_. _Oh, it’s just a Persocom..._

He was about to laugh at himself when the thought sank in, and he crouched down quickly, touching the Persocom’s fine blond hair, smoothing it back off his forehead. “It’s a fucking Persocom,” he muttered, in awe. He looked around quickly, wondering why someone would have just thrown it out so carelessly. They were _expensive_ \- Will knew, he’d been dying for one for damn near his whole life. Even the cheapest models were so far beyond his student budget, and the small ones still were beyond his grasp.

And yet, here was one, without a hint of damage, just _sitting there_. Will dragged a hang along his face, scratched at his stubble, flet down to his pockets for his phone. He needed to call Beverly, to get her to help him-

He couldn’t feel his phone, looked around, found where it had fallen on the ground and groaned as he picked it up, seeing the screen was shattered. He stuffed it back into his pocket, cursing himself- he had no idea how he’d pay to have it fixed- and decided he’d have to move the Persocom on his own. It couldn’t be _that_ hard.

He managed to get his arms under the Persocom’s body, standing up and pulling him up birdal style, stumbling back a step and nearly falling back down. “Jesus fucking Christ,” he muttered, “you weigh a _ton_.” He shifted his hold, taking a deep breath and making his way back to the street, happy now that it was so late and the roads were deserted.

*

Will had to set the Persocom down to get his apartment door open, then managed to lift him again to get him inside. He stumbled a little, kicked the door shut behind him, and forced his way through the living room, of to the right to his bedroom. Opening the door with his hip, he stumbled inside, lost his footing, and tumbled down, turning so that he hit the floor and the Persocom landed on top of him. He groaned, loudly, saw a light flick on in the living room, and then his bedroom light was on.

“What the hell,” Beverly exclaimed, hands on her hips, staring down at him, “you trying to wake the dead?”

“N-no,” Will gasped, “I tripped. A little help? This thing is heavy.” Beverly looked down at the body laying on Will’s, then bent helping him to lift the Persocom off of him so he could stand up. The two managed to get him to the bed, at which point Beverly turned to Will, quirking up an eyebrow. “Uh, wanna explain what you’re doing with a _Persocom_?”

“I found him,” Will explained, “he was just...sitting by a dumpster.”

“So you lugged a _broken_ Persocom home?”

“He looks fine! Look, help me find his power switch and we’ll see. Where are they normally?”

“Look around the ears,” Beverly said, “Why didn’t you call me?”

“I...may have broken my phone.”

“Oh that’s _smooth_ Will.” Will rolled his eyes, settling over the Persocom’s lap and leaning down, feeling along the shapes of his ears, fingers brushing up into his blonde hair. It was incredibly soft, felt like silk along Will’s fingers, and Will let his eyes roam over the face in front of him, the high cheekbones and sweetly curves pink mouth. Handsome, almost pretty. _Not almost_.

“Is this it?” Will asked, feeling something behind one ear. He pressed the button, and suddenly the limp body went tense, and eyes fluttered open to stare up at him, a deep burgundy, like expensive wine. Will stared, wide eyed, then pushed himself up, giving a little cheer. “Yes! See Beverly, it’s not broken at all!” She peered over his shoulder, just as the Persocom sat up, looking at the two of them with those large dark eyes. “So what do I have it do?”

“Ask his name.”

“Oh, uh, yeah. So, what’s your name?” He looked directly at the Persocom, who said nothing, just stared back, tilting his head slightly. Will hesitated, then looked back at Beverly, who shrugged. She scanned her eyes over it, reaching and taking one arm gently, lifting it.

“What’s this?” There was a small bracelet around one wrist, a little gold plate on fine chain. Will leaned over as Beverly moved it so they could see the plate clearly.

“Hannibal?” Will read, and Beverly giggled.

“Like that guy who marched against Rome, remember? Think back to history.” Will rolled his eyes.

“Of course you’d know some crazy fact.” Then, turning to the Persocom, “Hannibal, is that your name?”

“Hannibal.” Those lips moved to form the word perfectly, and Will was distracted for a moment. Beverly, behind him, was nodding.

“Cool. He’s got his name down-“ she stopped when Hannibal tilted his head, looking at her in an almost child liked way.

“Hanni?” Will blinked himself back to reality, blushed at his own distraction, and pointed to himself, the movement getting Hannibal’s attention.

“I’m Will.” Hannibal pointed at him, saying ver calmly, in a voice that had an overly pleasing accent,

“Will.” Will nodded, then Hannibal turned, pointed to Beverly, stating, “Will.” Then, pointing back to himself, “Will.”

“He thinks pointing is _Will_ ,” Beverly said, laughing. “Oh gosh Will, he’s like a child.” Will frowned, heaving a sigh.

“I guess he is broken.” He reached up, placing his hands along Hannibal’s face, fingers pushing behind his ears, ready to find the switch to turn him back off, when the Persocom _smiled_ at him, saying very happily _Will_ , and he froze, feeling the tiny switch that would turn him back into a limp, heavy doll. He hesitated there, just for a breath, then pulled his hands back. “Maybe he just needs time to reboot properly.” Beverly shrugged a shoulder, shoving her hands in the pockets of her sweatpants.

“Whatever, he might. Either way, I’m going back to bed. I don’t want to fall asleep during Dr. Bloom’s lecture tomorrow.” Will nodded and Beverly turned, heading out, closing the door behind her, and Will sighed, shaking his head. As he did so, he felt long fingers touching at his curls, then running through them, looked up enough to see Hannibal studying him with inquisitive eyes.

“Hanni?” Will felt his hand run down his cheek, almost pushed into it, then caught himself and pulled back, stumbling up off the bed.

“Uh, look. I have class tomorrow, so uhm...I need to go to bed. Sleep. Do you know what sleep is?” Hannibal inclined his head, and Will sighed, walking over to his dresser. “And I should probably get you in some clothes.” He shifted through his clothing, pulled out a pair of black boxer briefs, and walked back over, handing them to Hannibal as he tried to work the white wrapping off him. Upon closing inspection, it wasn’t bandage at all- but lace.

_As if this all isn’t weird enough already_. Will stopped when he had the lace removed from Hannibal’s torso, resting a hand up along his collar bone, stroking the curve that was metal, he knew, beneath synthetic skin that felt more real than his own. He traced it with his thumb, looked up, saw Hannibal’s eyes had gone heavy, the lids partially closed, and there was a gentle part to his lips. Will pulled back, forgetting that they _felt_ things, that he might have programming that would turn that touch into something more than it was-

_What the hell was it Graham? What were you even thinking?_ Will sighed, backing away. “Okay, uh...just put those on.” He turned, went back to his dresser, hunting for a shirt that might be comfortable, and found one of his worn, green plaid shirts. It was soft in his hands, from years of wear, and he turned to offer it to Hannibal-

Only to find the Persocom standing, the underwear on his head, falling down almost into his eyes. Will gawked, for a second, then blushed, rushing over and pulling them off. “No, no not like that! Oh gosh, okay, they uh...” He trailed off, then dropping everything on his bed, worked his own jeans open and pulled them partially down his thighs. “Like this,” he said, pulling his jeans back up. “See?” He pulled them down his thighs again, then back up, watched Hannibal’s eyes follow the movement. The Persocom nodded, and Will handed him the underwear again, looking away as the last bits of lace wrapping fell from his body, leaving him completely naked. Will bit his lip, keeping his eyes on the ceiling, telling himself it was _fine_ , this didn’t need to be weird-

_He’s just a machine_.

“Hanni?” Will looked down, saw Hannibal had managed, and Will breathed a sigh of relief.

“Good, now put on that shirt.” He pointed to it, and Hannibal pointed as well.

“Will?” The brunet shook his head, taking a step closer.

“No. That’s a shirt. _I’m_ Will. Will.” He pointed to himself. “Hannibal.” He pointed back at Hannibal, then back to himself. “Will.” Then, one more time, this time his finger tapping Hannibal’s nose gently. “Hannibal.”

“Hannibal,” he repeated, pointing to himself. Then almost shyly pointed at Will, “Will?”

“Yes!” Will grinned. “You got it! You _can_ learn, awesome. I bet in the morning your programs will all be running and you’ll be just perfect.” He turned, unwrapping his scarf and tossing his jacket off, leaving them in a small old chair, stripping of his own flannel shirt and leaving him in a t-shirt and jeans. When he turned, Hannibal was holding the shirt, looking at it, perplexed but inquisitive. He laughed, shaking his head and walking over, taking it. Carefully, he moved Hannibal’s arms, tucking them into it, sliding it up over his skin that was _warm_ , Will realized. “There you go. That’s a little better. Good enough for sleeping, anyway.”

Hannibal looked down at himself, and Will stripped of his jeans, shoes, socks, and walked over to the light, flicking it off. He threw his blanket back, crawling into bed, then, after hesitating a moment, “I guess you’ll have to sleep with me tonight. Until we can figure this out. There should be plenty of room-“ He was cut off when Hannibal crawled into the bed, sliding right over into his space and tangling his legs along Will’s, an arm wrapping around him, face pressing into his upper arm. Will tense, squirmed a little, but the Persocom’s grip was strong, and Will gave up after only a moment’s struggle.

_It’s just one night_ he reasoned, _You can handle it for one night_. Besides, Will was exhausted, had worked all evening, had attended class before that- hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning at this point- and Hannibal was warm, chasing the chill from his bones and he nestled into his arm. Will smiled, decided that yes, he could definitely survive one night like that.

*

The increase in traffic outside, along with music blasting from the kitchen, roused Will the next day. He groaned, kept his eyes closed against the light that came in through his curtain-less windows, snuggled in closer to the foreign heat he found in his bed. Head bowed down, something soft and silky was against his mouth, his nose- smelled somehow pleasant, and he opened his eye slowly- saw fine blonde hair, the top of Hannibal’s head as the Persocom had, somehow, in the night manage to burrow into Will’s chest, squirm so that he was locked in Will’s arms, the young man on his side now.

Will jerked back, causing Hannibal to look up at him with those large, dark eyes, asking quietly, “Will?” The brunet shook his head, trying to sit up, just as his door was pushed open, Beverly walking in without knocking, attempting to tie her hair up into a ponytail. The music coming from their kitchenette grew louder.

“Yo, we’re going to be late,” she called, then stopped, staring. Hannibal looked at her, gave a smile, and she started laughing. “Jesus Will, if you need to get laid so badly, I’m sure I could hook you up with someone.”

“It’s not- I wouldn’t- Bev!” He crawled out of bed, shaking his head and shoving past her, heading for the bathroom, a shower- hoping she didn’t see the tightness in his underwear from waking up having a sweet heat pressed against him. Hoping he could forget it himself.

Beverly sighed, shaking her head, then walked over to the bed, sitting down and smiling at Hannibal. “Morning gorgeous. You running any better?”

“Hanni?” She giggled.

“I figured not. What the hell are we going to do with you?” She reached out, carefully pushed some of his bangs away from his eyes, couldn’t help but smile over him. He looked so sweet with those burgundy eyes, so new and fresh. A blank slate. “Will and I will figure something out.”

“Will?” Her smile broadened.

“Yes, Will. You know him, at least. I’m Beverly.” She pointed to herself. “Beverly.”

Hannibal nodded, pointed at her, “Beverly.”

“Good.” She ruffled his hair, before she got on her knees, working through it carefully, taming it. “We’ll get you fixed up and taken care of. I promise.” Hannibal smiled at her, charming, and she grinned back, couldn’t help but think he was just _rather precious_.

*

Will returned from his shower, a towel around his waist, to find Beverly had dressed Hannibal while he was gone- or, found a pair of Will’s pants that fit him well enough.

“You’re going to need to get him some clothes,” she pointed out, buttoning his shirt, Hannibal watching, memorizing. “He can’t walk around in underwear.”

“I know. Maybe I can get an extra shift or something and get the money for it-“ he saw his broken phone on his nightstand- Beverly had set it there- and groaned. “Fuck, I need to fix that.” He shook his head, then stared at the two. “Uhm, could you maybe...take him to the other room?”

“Why?”

“I have to get dressed.” Beverly shrugged a shoulder.

“So? Will, he’s a computer. And I’ve seen you naked more times than I can count. Just do it while I finish primping him.” She turned back to Hannibal, adjusting the collar of his shirt, and Will turned away, dropping his towel and stepping into his underwear as quickly as he could. He heard Beverly giggle though, knew she had turned to catch a glimpse, and rolled his eyes.

“Kiss my ass, Bev.”

“Come on over here, I will ‘til you scream.” Will’s face turned bright red, but he kept it hidden as he hunted around for clothing, dressing as quickly as he could. Beverly turned back to Hannibal, tapped his nose playfully. “Don’t learn from me, okay? I’m a bad example.” She winked at him, and he laughed- a sound that had Will stop with his shirt only half buttoned up, turning and staring at them.

“He laughed. Is that something they learn?” Beverly shrugged a shoulder.

“I have no idea. Look, we can ask Brian later, I’m sure he’d come over and take a look at Hannibal. But if we don’t leave now, we’re going to be late and Dr. Bloom is going to kill us.”

“What do we do with Hannibal?” Beverly shrugged again, slipping out of the room to grab her bag, and Will walked over to Hannibal, taking his hand- his palm was warm and pressed right up against Will’s, made Will think of Hannibal curled up to him like a kitten when he woke up, made him blush again- and led him out of the room. He gestured towards the couch, then pointed at the remote sitting on the arm. “Beverly and I have to go to class. But we’ll be back shortly. You can...watch TV while we’re gone.” Hannibal looked at the remote, the couch, but didn’t move. Will took his hand, sat down, and tugged gently. Hannibal, instead of sitting, threw himself down on Will, wrapping his arms around him and trying to snuggle in. The brunet toppled over, gasping, just as Beverly walked back in, throwing her back over her shoulders.

“Will seriously, keep it in your pants.”

“Bev- I- he just...it’s not what you think!” Will managed to squirm away, standing up, and bent down, hands gently on Hannibal’s shoulders to keep him sitting when he tried to rise. “Hannibal, sit. Stay.” Will took his hands back slowly, than picked up the remote, clicking on the TV. He set the remote back next to Hannibal, then dared to reach out, brush some of his hair back. “Listen Hannibal, we have to go. You sit here, okay? Watch this. You can change the channel with the remote. Like I did, okay?”

“Will.” Will sighed, but he couldn’t help but smile. It was hard, with those eyes and that voice, the way it cradled Will’s name in notes like music.

“I promise I’ll be back soon.” He gave one more stroke to Hannibal’s hair, than pulled away, finding his own bag on the floor and grabbing it, then following Beverly out of the apartment. Hannibal watched as the door closed, inclined his head and waited a moment, before saying,

“Will?” The silence greeted him, and his hands gripped at the jeans Beverly had helped him into. A few moments, and then, again except in a lonesome sort of whine, “Will?”


	2. Chapter 2

Will dropped into a seat in the lecture hall, dropping his bag and tipping his head back, sighing. The room was buzzing about him, Beverly settled next to him, her bag on the long table the entire row shared, when a hand clamped on his shoulder. He jumped, stared up as Brian grinned down at him.

“You look like shit Graham,” he said, sitting down next to him. He set his bag carefully on the table, flopping it open.

“Will had quite the night,” Beverly offered, leaning over with a grin. “He had a bedmate.”

“Shit, did you finally get laid?” Brian elbowed Will, before reaching into his bag, scooping up his little Persocom and setting him down on the table. Jimmy stretched, leaning back and falling over with a small laugh, and Beverly was giggling happily, reaching over to poke him in the belly with her finger gently.

“No,” Will said, turning to Brian as Beverly played happily with the pocket sized computer. “I found a Persocom.”

“No shit!”

“Yeah, but he’s...different. Are you busy after class? Would you mind coming back and taking a look? You’ve got more experience with them than Bev and I do.”

“Sure thing,” Brian said with a grin, before he scooped Jimmy up from Beverly, cradling him in his hands, “Hey buddy, double check to make sure my calendar is free after class, okay?”

“Yes sir!” Jimmy’s eyes went glossy for a moment as he sat there, like a small doll in his little burnt orange sweater, before he came back to, smiling. “All free!”

“Cool.” Brian stroke some of his hair back for a minute, then set him back on the table, just as the doors to the lecture hall were opening. “Go on into sleep mode now, I’ll wake you up after class.” Jimmy gave an enthusiastic nod, then curled up against Brian’s bag, falling into what Will only ever thought of as a normal sleep. He still felt weird, at times, looking at the little Persocom that looked like a pocket sizer human.

“Alright, settle down.” Dr. Alana Bloom set her bag down on her desk, turning to her lecture hall full of students. “Let’s not waste any time, we have a very busy class ahead of us.”

Inwardly, Will groaned, shooting a quick look at the clock and willing it to melt and contort, to move faster. He wanted to get back to Hannibal- curious what light Brian could shed on him.

*

The three made the walk back to Beverly and Will’s apartment after, Jimmy perched happily on Brian’s shoulder, leaning against his neck and cheek affectionately. Will had seen it before, countless times, but thinking now on how Hannibal had clung to him, he wondered if it was simply a Persocom trait.

He didn’t recall seeing other Persocoms clinging to fondly to their owners.

“He’s been alone for over two hours,” Will pointed out, as they approached the apartment door. “I feel bad.”

“He probably went into sleep mode,” Brian pointed out as Beverly worked her key into the lock, “Most ‘coms are programmed for that. If I leave Jimmy alone too long, he usually goes into sleep mode unless he finds something else to do.” He reached up, gave the little Persocom a pat, just as Beverly got the door open. They weren’t two steps inside when Hannibal was rushing from the couch, throwing himself at Will and clinging to him tightly, exclaiming happily, “Will!”

The brunet stumbled back a step, caught himself against the wall and managed to keep from falling over. Instinctively, he wrapped an arm around Hannibal’s waist, and the blond nestled into him, giving a happy hum.

“Shit,” Brian said, hands on his hips, “You weren’t kidding when you said clingy.” Beverly laughed, waving her hand and heading off to the kitchenette, leaving Will to guide Hannibal back to the couch. He still held onto Will’s arm, even when they sat down. “So, I guess he didn’t go into sleep mode.” Brian stepped closer, set Jimmy down on the small coffee table, and sat on the other side of Hannibal, inclining his head and examining him. Hannibal turned, glanced at Brian, then back at Will.

“Will?”

“It’s okay Hannibal. This is Brian, he’s my friend.” He pointed at him. “Brian.”

Hannibal mimicked, pointing at him, “Brian.”

“Yeah. Good job.” Will smoothed a hand along his fine blond hair, and Hannibal closed his eyes happily.

“He’s got some functioning learning software, at least,” Brian pointed out. “Has he done anything?”

“Not really. Only what I’ve shown him. He’s learning names.” Brian reached out, ran his fingers along the curve of Hannibal’s white and pink ears.

“Have you charged him?”

“Charged him?”

“Yeah, taken him for a walk, or plugged him in. He might be low on power, maybe that’s messing with his system reboot. Here,” he stood up, “Let’s get him plugged in and see what happens. We just have to get his ears open.” Brian poked around, but Hannibal pulled away, shaking his head.

“Hanni,” he whimpered, closing in towards Will, who wrapped his arms around him without thinking. Brian pulled back.

“Hey, it’s okay Hannibal. Brian’s not gonna hurt you.” Will stroked his hair once. “We need to plug you in. Will you let me do it?” He drifted a hand to Hannibal’s ear, and the Persocom sat perfectly still as Will clicked it open. “See? It’s okay.” He smiled, and Hannibal smiled back, reaching up to trace the curves of Will’s smile with a single finger. Will blushed a little, and Hannibal leaned closer, and Will could feel his breath- couldn’t understand why he was breathing at all. He leaned back, pulling away, managed to scramble up as Brian leaned back down, fishing wires from Hannibal’s ears.

He pulled them out, carefully, walked over to the wall and plugged him in. Hannibal’s eyes light up, the burgundy turning to hot wine, but otherwise he didn’t react. Just watched, mostly Will, who stood with his hands in his pockets, blushing.

_You imagined it. He’s not really breathing. Maybe he’s programmed to, to seem more realistic. Just remember he’s a computer_.

“You know, I could connect Jimmy to him,” Brian offered, “see what he can tell us. It’s stress free for their systems.”

“Sure.” Brian picked Jimmy up, set him gently on the back of the couch. The small Persocom waved at Hannibal, who tilted his head but smiled, allowed Brian to open his other ear, and connect a few wires from Jimmy’s own.

“Okay Jimmy, give me a system run down on him.”

“You got it Zee!” Jimmy shifted around, smiling for a moment, before he looked down at his lap, concentrating.

“Jimmy should be able to give us an idea of what programs Hannibal has installed in him. Give us the logistics of what his system runs on, then we can figure out how to-“ Brian cut off when Jimmy suddenly jerked back, eyes wide and pupil-less, then slumped over. He rushed forward, pulled his wires free from Hannibal, who turned and was looking, curiously but with a hint of shock in his eyes, as Brian scooped Jimmy up, cradling the tiny Persocom to his chest. “Shit! Jimmy, hey buddy, wake up!”

Will moved forward, onto the couch, reached for Hannibal and cupped his cheek. “Are you okay?”

“Hanni?” Will sighed, pressing his forehead against Hannibal’s sighing. “Will?” Will didn’t respond, he stroked a hand up through Hannibal’s blond hair, then pulled back, looking at Jimmy sat up slowly in Brian’s hands, shaking his head.

“Jimmy, are you okay?”

“Yessir, I think. System scan in progress.” He shifted a bit, then shook his head, smiling. “Everything is fully functional, no data was lost.”

“Thank god.” Brian pat Jimmy on the head gently. “What the hell happened?”

“I couldn’t get through his system. There was a firewall.” Will looked up at Brian, who shrugged his shoulder.

“Sorry,” he offered, “I guess Jimmy _can’t_ tell us more about him. Look,” he looked at his watch, “I have to run, but I’ll ask my boss about it at work. Maybe he’ll have some ideas. Keep me posted.”

“Yeah, sure. Thanks.” Brian headed to the door, letting himself out, and Will slumped back, running his hands up over his face. Brian knew more about Persocoms than anyone else Will knew personally, and he being stumped- and his own personal Persocom being stumped as well- was beyond frustrating. He knew Jimmy was made with the finest parts, running the best software- it had all come from the Persocom repair and upgrade shop Brian worked at. He was still learning a lot about them, but when he had his Master’s at the end of the upcoming Spring Semester, he’d have a guaranteed full time job there, under the watchful eye of the owner who had been working with Persocoms his whole life.

Will had never met the guy, but he was starting to think he’d have to pay them a visit. He cracked his eyes open, glanced at Hannibal, who was watching him, concerned. “Hey,” he offered, “Don’t look so sad. It’s okay. I’m not mad.”

“Mad?” Will sat up straighter.

“Yeah, mad. When you’re angry. Not happy.”

“Happy?” Will rubbed his jawline, over the stubble.

“Yeah, happy is...happy is this.” He smiled again, took Hannibal’s hand and pressed his fingers to his lips. “When I smile, I’m happy.” He let Hannibal trace his mouth again, tilting his head to study the curves of Will’s mouth.

“Happy. Happy Will.”

“There you go.” Will reached out and tussled Hannibal’s hair, before he pushed himself up, heading over to the kitchenette where Beverly had left a pot of coffee before disappearing into her room, realizing it had been more than twenty four hours since he’d eaten, and beginning to feel it.

*

Will hated to leave that afternoon, with the look Hannibal was giving him, as if he might never return. Beverly had the night off and said it’d be fine, she’d keep an eye on him for a bit before she had to go out for some plans, and Will accepted it, although it left him nervous.

He kept trying to check his phone while at work, then would remember it was broken, while he was sitting behind the counter, tapping his fingers along the glass counter and staring out at an array of things he felt he could have gone his own life without seeing, understanding. Beverly had jokingly suggested he take Hannibal to work with him, as it was pretty common to bring Persocoms into the working place, but Will wouldn’t hear it. He could only imagine Hannibal picking up one of the packaged vibrators, head tilted, confused, and Will having to stammer out some sort of explanation over it.

He needed a new job, one that didn’t involve sitting in a sex shop all hours of the evening. Preferably one that paid better.

He was exhausted, come the end of his shift, when he was locking up. The walk home hurt, and he wanted to curl up in bed and sleep the day away, thankful he didn’t have class in the morning. Dr. Bloom’s lecture occurred Tuesday and Thursday in the late morning, and his other two seminars would come that Friday, long, grueling three hour blocks that left him drowsy.

But, he realized, as he was unlocking the apartment door, he had the whole day with Hannibal, until he had to go to work. The whole day to try and get him running properly.

Inside, he found the glow of the television was the only light. When the door clicked shut, Hannibal turned, giving Will a big smile, before saying happily, “Will!” The brunet felt the fatigue begin to drain out of him and smiled, walking over and dropping down on the couch next to the Persocom, tossing an arm around him.

“Hey buddy. Have fun while I was gone?”

“Fun?”

“Uh, yeah. When you enjoy yourself.” Hannibal pointed at the television, to what appeared to be a romantic comedy that Will didn’t recognize.

“Fun?” The woman was smiling, laughing, and Will nodded.

“Exactly. Fun.” He ruffled Hannibal’s hair. “Is Beverly here?” Hannibal nodded, pointed to her room, and Will smiled. “Let’s turn that off to make sure we don’t wake her up, okay? I’m exhausted. Do you need to sleep?”

“Sleep?”

“Yeah uh...what we did last night. When our eyes were closed. See?” Will leaned back into the couch,k closing his eyes, imitated it for a moment, then opened them. “Sleep.”

“Will needs sleep?” Will nodded. “Hannibal needs sleep?”

“Do you feel tired?” Will caught himself before Hannibal could ask, adding, “Eyes heavy. Do you feel slow?” He moved his hand, slowly, as if trying to explain the concept.

“Slow? No.” Hannibal shook his head. Will got up, stretched out, clicked the TV off anyway and flooded the room in darkness.

“Maybe you can read. If you have the ability. Hold on.” Will trudged into his room, clicking on the light, gathering up various books he had lying around. He had a dictionary, an old copy of a Greek mythology book from an undergrad class he took years ago, an array of other random things he didn’t need for this semester. He returned, set them on the coffee table and clicked on a small lamp near the couch. Hannibal grabbed one, opened it, and without hesitating, began to read out loud, in his quiet voice.

Will could have cheered over that- it meant he had some software working. He made a mental note to tell Brian about it, then reached out, ran his a hand along Hannibal’s fine hair.

“If you get tired, come sleep, okay?” Hannibal nodded. “I’m going to be right in there.” Will pointed to his room.

Another nod. “Happy sleep, Will.” The brunet smiled, felt a tightening in his chest, and offered, before disappearing for the rest of the night,

“Good night, Hannibal.”

*

Will woke up to the sounds of shuffling around the apartment, to a smell that lingered in the air that made his stomach grumble. He buried his face deeper into his pillows, clutching them, thinking he could get a few more minutes of precious sleep-

The sound of his door opening roused him fully. He rolled over, onto his back, opened his eyes against the sun that came in through his window, and felt the bed dip, heard in a pretty accented voice,

“Good morning, Will.”

The brunet pushed himself up, turned and stared at Hannibal, who was smiling at him, charming, holding a tray very carefully. Will looked at it, then up at him, then, “Holy shit, you said a full sentence.”

Hannibal’s smile grew, and he nodded, holding the tray out. Will took it, carefully, staring at it, then back at him. “Did you...did you make me breakfast?”

“A protein scramble.” Will gawked, reaching up to brush his hands back through his hair.

“But...how...you didn’t even know how to put on underwear.” Hannibal laughed- it was a rich sound, and Will wanted to bottle it up, to keep it.

“Your television. It showed me how to cook. Your books showed me words.” He hesitated at moments, and Will could see he was still processing all the data, the knowledge- but he had spent the entire night with both sources, and Will couldn’t believe he took it all in.

“Did you...did you watch cooking shows?”

“After Beverly left.” Hannibal nodded. “You said she needed sleep. I was quiet.” Will chuckled, smiled, too in awe to think of much else, and Hannibal crawled off the bed, leaving without another word. Will heard him in the kitchen, cleaning up, and looked down at his plate, at the scrambled eggs and sausage that he normally wouldn’t even have time to consider.

He took a bite, let out a little noise- it was _good_ , it was beyond good, and this computer that hadn’t been able to say a single real word the day prior had cooked it, had spoken to Will in full sentences- simple sentences, but full-

And he had had the thought to make Will breakfast, to bring it to him. There was a warmth in Will’s finger tips over it, had him curling his toes, as it spread up his arms and legs, to settle in his belly. He was smiling, he realized, and he told himself it was normal, because this was such a good turn- Hannibal was functional, maybe Brian was right, he only needed to be plugged in for a time.

Maybe Will’s luck was finally turning around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Casually mentions that Will works in a sex shop and then moves on_ (don't worry, we'll be revisiting this, I swear!)
> 
> So much dialogue, way more than I usually like to have in one chapter! But hey, Hannibal is making some progress! c:


	3. Chapter 3

Will showered and dressed, found Hannibal sitting in front of the Television watching a cooking show when he was toweling off his wet curls, looking fascinated.

“Hey,” Will started, “how about you and I go out for a bit?” Hannibal looked over at him, smiling, and Will felt a sudden burst of heat in his chest, felt his legs going a little weak. “I figure I need to get you some clothes of your own. And remember my friend Brian?” Hannibal nodded. “He works at a shop that handles Persocoms. Maybe we’ll go pay him a visit. His boss might be able to help us with you.” Hannibal kept smiling, and Will couldn’t help himself- he reached out, stroking along his hair, carding his fingers into it. Hannibal’s eyelids drooped slightly, and Will tangled his fingers behind his neck, wanting to tug suddenly, to have Hannibal gaze up at him.

He pulled back before he could, heading back to his room to try and find Hannibal some fresh clothes to wear out.

*

Will had the overwhelming urge to hold onto Hannibal in some way as they walked. The Persocom was looking around with large, intrigued eyes as they made their way down the street, towards the downtown area, bundled up in one of Will’s thick sweaters, the collar of his plaid shirt popping out. Will kept his hands in his worn out jacket, his scarf loosely looped around his neck. He had offered it to Hannibal- even though it was absurd, he was sure the Persocom would be fine- but he had politely declined. It was still mind numbing that Hannibal was suddenly using full sentences, suddenly understanding.

“If you have questions about anything,” Will offered, “Just ask me, okay? This could be a learning experience.” Hannibal nodded, inched closer to Will, followed him as they crossed the street, onto the bustling sidewalks of the city. “And stay close, I don’t wanna lose you.”

“Okay Will.” The brunet ducked into a store, sneaking glances to make sure Hannibal was behind him. The sounds of the street were replaced by soft music, the air pleasantly warmer.

Will didn’t have a lot of money, but he also knew he couldn’t dress Hannibal in his worn out clothing forever. He wanted something that fit him better, something that was _his_. He was sure it was dumb, as Hannibal was a computer, but he felt like it was important. He’d just have to figure out a way to pay it off his credit card later.

“Look at whatever you want,” Will offered, rocking back on his heels slightly, “You need clothes of your own.”

“What do you want to see me in?” Will froze, stared at Hannibal, who had a slight tilt to his head, was watching Will with eyes that didn’t seem to fully understand.

“It...it doesn’t matter what I want to see you in. You wear whatever you want.”

“But I want you to be happy.” Hannibal stepped closer, reached out and touched Will’s lips gently with his finger tips, “When Will is happy, he smiles- and I like your smile. I know seeing people in what you want them to wear can make you happy.”

“Where did you learn this?” Will’s lips moved against Hannibal’s finger tips, and he was tempted to kiss them, to pull them into his mouth, and his belly flared with heat, his mind with terror. Instead he only spoke, tried to remember to breathe. _He’s a Persocom Graham, get a hold of yourself_.

“On the television last night. A woman told a man to pick what she wore, and he was very happy.”

Will flushed, trying to step back and bumping into a rack, adding only a small amount of space between he and Hannibal. “That’s different, Hannibal.It’s different when the relationship is different.”

“Relationship?”

“Yeah. That’s...the connection between two people.” Hannibal nodded, seeming to think for a moment.

“What is our relationship, Will?” Will’s cheeks flushed more, and he shook his head.

“It doesn’t matter. Look, let’s just...find you some clothing, okay? Look around and see if you like something.” Will side stepped away, not able to look at Hannibal, not wanting him to focus in on the flush on his cheeks. He couldn’t even explain _why_ he was blushing. It was stupid- Hannibal was a computer, and of course he didn’t understand what he was saying, there was no reason to get flustered over it.

Except that he was, he was flushed and his heart was racing, and he was picturing Hannibal curled up in a sweater, loose around his neck so he could see the curve of his collar bone, the sleeves extending along his slender fingers. He’d tuck his bare feet under the blankets of the bed, and he’d _smile_ at Will, wanting to be pressed up against him again, wanting to nestle in like that first night-

Will shook his head, feeling ridiculous. _Pull yourself together Graham. Don’t be an ass. He’s a Persocom, and you’re starting to sound sick_.

Hannibal watched Will walk away, further into the store, before following, glancing at the items around him and taking in each color, each texture as they would brush along him.

*

Will had helped Hannibal a little, in the end, when he would point to two shirts and Will could give his opinion. They left the store with two bags, and Will not wanting to think about paying the bill off his credit card.

“Brian’s shop is a few blocks away,” Will said, holding both bags, shifting them about a bit. “After that, we can go home.”

“Home.” Hannibal nodded, and if Will had looked at his eyes, he might have seen him thinking, building connections. Then, before they could start their walk, he reached out, taking one of Will’s bags and shifting it to his other hand, smiling. “Let me help.”

“Uh, okay. Thanks.” Will felt Hannibal’s hand curl around his then, holding it, and thought he should pull away- but his touch was oddly arm, and the air had a chill, and there was a spark that nestled into his veins over the touch. Instead of pulling away, he simply began walking, keeping Hannibal close by.

Even as they got to the shop he was reasoning it made sense to hold Hannibal’s hand. This was their first adventure out of the house, and he wanted to keep him close, safe. It was reasonable.

The first thing that greeted the two upon entering the small front room of the shop was Jimmy, sitting on the counter. He smiled and waved, giving a loud, “Hello Will!” in greeting that had the brunet laughing.

“Hello Jimmy. If you’re here I assume Brian is too.” Jimmy nodded, standing up and giving a pleasant wave at Hannibal. Hannibal pulled his hand free from Will’s, raising it in a small wave just as the small door to the rest of the shop opened and Brian walked out, grinning.

“Hey stranger, what can I do you for?” He leaned against the counter, using a single finger to stroke Jimmy’s hair, and the Persocom nearly purred happily.

“Just in the area, I was wondering if you’d talked to your boss about...Hannibal and all. Since I can’t call you.” Brian grinned.

“Jack’s not in the shop today, sadly. But hey, why don’t you bring him back? Maybe if I hook him up to some of our machines, they might be able to handle him. Even if Jimmy has one of the best processing systems in him, don’t you buddy?” He leaned down, kissed the top of Jimmy’s head, and the small Persocom laughed, squirming around as he was scooped up. Will led Hannibal around the counter, following them through the door and into the workshop portion of the shop. There were computers humming on desks, and Will could see in, the back, a Persocom laid out on a table.

It almost resembled a corpse- and it made him think of the first time he’d found Hannibal.

“Hop on over here,” Brian said, moving a pile of papers off of a chair. Hannibal set his bag down- mirroring Will as he had done it only a moment prior- and walked over, sitting down. This time when Brian went to open his ear, he didn’t flinch away. “I’m just gonna hook you up to the machine. It’s going to run a quick scan, you shouldn’t feel anything, okay?” Hannibal nodded as Brian bustled about, Jimmy standing now on the table and handing him wires.

Once Hannibal was set up, Brian fell back into his computer chair, leaning over the computer and typing. Will stood in front of Hannibal, absent mindedly reaching out, running his fingers along the neck of the sweater that was his but suddenly felt as if it belonged to the other man-

_Persocom_ Will reminded himself. “Let me know if you’re uncomfortable,” Will whispered, and Hannibal nodded.

“Okay, it’s running. Should give us at least an idea of what sort of processor he’s running, what sort of software he’s got in him. Maybe a run down of that firewall that stopped Jimmy.” Jimmy pouted, folding his arms and plopping down, not enjoying being reminded of his failure. Will hopped up onto the table next to the small Persocom, welcomed him when he crawled up onto his lap and pet his ashen hair, as if he were a kitten. Hannibal, next to him, watched, taking in each small movement of Will’s hand. “You know Will, he’s got to had a damn good firewall to keep Jimmy out. You sure you didn’t, you know...fabricate the story about finding him a little?”

“What are you asking?”

“Just...I mean, he _looks_ like an expensive model-“

“Brian, I didn’t steal him.” Will shook his head, considered opening his mouth to tear into Brian over it, when the computer suddenly began beeping furiously, and Hannibal was moving, reaching up towards his ear.

“It’s hot.” He said it calmly, put Jimmy was tumbling from Will’s lap and the man was leaning over, digging his fingers in and pulling the wires out, quickly, cursing loudly as they burnt his fingers. He flung them down, reaching for Hannibal and cradling his face in his hands, burning fingers touching smooth skin.

“Are you okay?” Hannibal nodded, and Will turned, staring at Brian. “What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know.” He smacked his monitor in frustration, sighing. “The program glitched or something, dammit it feels like the computer is on fucking fire.” Shaking his head, he moved to turn it off, and Will turned back to Hannibal, just as the Persocom was pulling his hands from his face, looking at the angry red that had taken over the tips of his fingers.

“Will,” he whispered, but the brunet was pulling his hands free as Brian got up, shrugging a shoulder.

“I guess his firewall is just bad ass. Look, Jack comes back to the shop in a day or two. I’ll bring it up to him, then, okay?” Will nodded, stooping down to pick up his bags. “Oh, do you have your phone? Leave it here, I can probably fix the mess you turned it into.”

*

Will settled his shopping bags in his bedroom, shooting a glance at the clock and knowing he would have to pack up and leave for work soon. Sadly, Beverly wasn’t home- he assumed she was working too. He just didn’t want to leave Hannibal alone.

He cut through the apartment, ignoring the Persocom who was bustling about the kitchen, and went into the bathroom, leaving the door open and looking at his fingers. Three of them were tipped an angry red, and he shoved them under the sink, turning on the cool water and allowing it the flood over them, cooling the sore skin.

He hadn’t felt the burn when it happened, only after, when he had cupped Hannibal’s face. It was like his brain shut off completely, except for the command to get those wires disconnected from Hannibal, before he was hurt.

_Damaged. Your hurt something that’s alive. He’s not_. Will shook his head, missed the sound of Hannibal making his way to the open door, heard his socked feet only when they hit the tile and padded across to him, carefully.

“You’re hurt.” It wasn’t a question, and Will just shrugged a shoulder, mumbling about how it was _nothing_ , just a little burn. Hannibal moved around him, opening the medicine cabinet and sifting through, reading each label slowly, working to connect the words to the knowledge he had slowly taken in. “I...don’t know what to do,” he admitted, looking at Will with large, dark eyes. “You’re hurt and I do not know how to help.”

Will turned the tap off, gently drying his hand on the towel. “It’s just a minor burn, you don’t need to do anything at all.” He offered a smile, but Hannibal’s mouth dropped still. “Hey, don’t frown. I’m absolutely fine, I promise. In a day or two, you won’t even know anything happened.” He reached out, wrapping one arm around Hannibal’s shoulders, holding up his bad hand. “See? Just a little discoloration. Nothing life threatening, I promise.”

Hannibal reached up, gently taking Will’s hand and turning it, examining his injured fingers. Then, looking at Will for just a moment, he pulled them closer, pressing his lips to each one, a tender kiss that made Will’s belly clench painfully.

“Where did you learn that?” he asked, and Hannibal kissed one again.

“Your television. A child was crying and a woman kissed her scratched arm. Does this help you heal?” He did it again, and Will could see him sucked his fingers into his mouth, looking up with those eyes, just wanting Will to feel _good_ -

Will stopped himself, pulling his head back. “Not really,” he said, even if it had distracted him from the slight throb, had made his nerves sing with joy. He turned and stormed out of the bathroom quickly, walking briskly for his room and trying not to replay the brief scene his imagination had graced him with.

*

Will tapped his fingers on the glass counter as the minutes ticked by. He had his book for Dr. Bloom’s class open, partially highlighted, but the words swam on the page more than in his mind. He yawned, stretching, glancing at the clock. After nine already- he could close up in about three hours. Not that the shop was particularly busy at this point- in the middle of the week, Will doubted anyone had a suden need for a vibrator-

_Heh, maybe they do_. He laughed at himself, reaching down to rummage through his bag, wondering if he had anything edible left in there. He hadn’t packed a “lunch”- dinner, if he was honest about the time- and he was hoping maybe he had a Granola bar stashed in there or something.

He stopped when he found a small brown bag, folded and closed neatly. He picked it up, set it on the counter, fingers working to open it, wondering what it could be. Once it was, Will peeked in, eyes widening in confusion upon finding a sandwich packed away neatly for him. He sat back, thinking he was crazy-

And then remembering Hannibal mulling around the kitchen. He’d been in there when Will had gone into the bathroom to look at his burns, and had returned when Will closed himself in his room after, needing to chase away his thoughts of Hannibal’s mouth wrapped around his fingers.

Hannibal had made it for him. Hannibal had thought to make sure he had food- even if he didn’t eat himself, eat least not that Will was aware of. He had spent the time and energy to put together something to get Will through the night.

He’d cared.

_Computers don’t care_ he thought, but as his fingers ran along the brown bag that Hannibal’s fingers would have had to touch, he knew his heart wasn’t in that thought.

*

Beverly unlocked the apartment at about ten thirty that evening, slipping inside and finding both the television and the small lamp by the couch illuminating the large open space of the apartment’s main room. Hannibal looked back, smiled at her. “Hello Beverly.”

“Shit!” She gawked for a moment, “That’s a whole sentence.” Hannibal nodded, pointed to the television and then the collection of books around him.

“I have been learning.” He was looking at her expectantly, and slowly, she smiled. She walked over, patting his head gently.

“Well damn, good for you. I bet that made Will happy.”

Hannibal’s smile faltered. “Will. Yes. I do not know if Will is happy. He left quickly. He hurt himself.”

“Will’s hurt?” Hannibal held up a few fingers.

“Your friend hooked a computer up to me. The wires were hot, and Will pulled them out. He hurt his fingers. I tried to make them better, but it didn’t work.”

“Tried to make them better?” Beverly sat down next to Hannibal, sifting through the books on the coffee table.

“Yes. Like on the television. But Will said it doesn’t work.” Beverly leaned back, intrigued.

“Can you show me?” Hannibal nodded, reaching for her hand, lifting it and pressing his mouth to the tips of her fingers. Beverly smiled, warmly at him, her free hand reaching out to rub his arm. “Oh sweetie, that’s a kiss. It doesn’t actually heal a wound, but it makes us feel better.”

“Will said it didn’t make him feel better.”

“He was probably lying. That’s something you do to someone you like.”

“Like?” She nodded.

“Yeah, that someone that makes your chest tight, makes your tummy flutter. Someone you care about a lot. Usually, you kiss them here.” She reached up, touched her own mouth. “It shows them you care.” Hannibal nodded as Beverly stood up, slipping away to her room and returning a minute later, arms full of books. She settled them on the table. “Here. Spice up your life a little bit. If you need help understanding anything, you come ask me, okay?”

Hannibal nodded, smiling, thankful, and Beverly wished him a good night, heading off to her own room. When her door shut, Hannibal leaned back into the couch, touching his own lips and replaying Beverly’s words over in his head.

*

When Will finally stood in front of the apartment, unlocking the door, his body was tired. He wanted to curl up in his bed, sleep for a hundred years, wake up when things made sense again.

No sooner than he was inside, closing and locking the door behind him, then Hannibal was up off the couch, rushing over. Will turned just in time, felt the Persocom’s arms wrap around his shoulders and waist, pushing up against him and pressing Will to the door as he excitedly exclaimed, “Will!” The brunet’s back pressed along the door, and suddenly Hannibal’s mouth was on his, pressing gently, sweetly, moving in soft caresses that had Will losing his breath, his head spinning.

Reflexively, he reached out, clutched at Hannibal’s shirt, tilted his head and pushed his mouth back, for a moment not knowing who he was, who Hannibal was- just driven by the softness that over took his lips.

Hannibal shifted, pressing closer, and Will was brought back to himself in a breath. He tensed, pushing the Persocom back, staring at him with wide eyes. “What are you doing?” he asked, and Hannibal, inclining his head, said calmly,

“Kissing you.”

Will shook his head, pressing a hand flat to Hannibal’s chest to keep a small space between them. “But...why?”

“Beverly said it would make you feel good. She said you do it to someone you like.” Hannibal tried to lean closer, but Will’s hand kept him firmly back.

“Yeah, but you shouldn’t kiss me, Hannibal.” Will shook his head. “That’s something people do and...and you’re a Persocom. It’s not...right.” He managed to slip from his space between Hannibal and the door, reaching up and rake a hand through his messy curls. He wanted to say more, but he didn’t have words for it. Instead he rushed for his bedroom, for the darkness that had settled over the rest of the apartment, his lips tingling and calling for more pressure, for the sweet slide of Hannibal’s again. He pressed his hand to his mouth, made a small sound, confused and his stomach in knots, wondering what the hell he was thinking, wanting to go back out there, to sink his hands into that blonde hair and kiss Hannibal until he lips were swollen.

_He’s a computer. They won’t swell. He’s not a man, and you’re just sick_. Will shook his head, still covering his mouth and feeling as if the threads of his body were slowly being pulled loose.

While he stood in the dark, Hannibal was left in the flashing lights of the television, the low glow of the lamp, tracing his own mouth, repeating Will’s words over and over again in his mind, wondering what it meant that he was a Persocom, and thus couldn’t kiss Will.

His stomach was alive with little wings, his throat was tight- he _liked_ Will, just like Beverly said. He simply didn’t understand what the gaping difference was between _person_ and _Persocom_.


	4. Chapter 4

Beverly leaned her hip against the counter, watching Hannibal work over the stove. She had a cup of coffee in one hand and sported her hair still tussled from bed. “I could get used to someone making breakfast,” she admitted with a grin. “Were you up all night?”

Hannibal nodded. “Yes. You left me some very good books, thank you.” Beverly stopped, lips ready to sip at her coffee.

“You read them all?” Hannibal nodded. “Shit. I’ll dig more out for you. Will should get you some from the library on campus.”

“A library is where books are housed that can be borrowed and read, then returned for other’s use.”

She laughed. “You got it baby.” She reached out, tussling his hair. “You’re too sweet. Did you give Will a good hello when he came home from work?”

Hannibal hesitated, then pursed his lips, turning off the stove and lifting the pan, plating the breakfast scramble he had made. “Will did not seem...enthused over my greeting.”

“Really?” Beverly hummed, sipping her coffee as Hannibal nodded.

“I kissed him. You said that is what you do when you like someone. I like Will. I miss him when he is gone. I feel excitement when he’s home. But he was not happy with me.” Hannibal looked down, glumly, and Beverly set her coffee aside, clicking her tongue.

“Did he kiss you back?” Hannibal nodded, and she sighed. “He probably wasn’t as unhappy as he seemed.”

“What if Will is mad at me?” The question came out sounding broken, and Hannibal reached up to fidget at the buttons on his shirt- one of the ones Will had bought him, a pale blue like the water colored sky. Beverly reached out, placing her hand on Hannibal’s shoulder, squeezing gently.

“Listen to me, Hannibal. Will isn’t mad at you. Trust me. In fact, instead of me screaming at him to get his ass up, how about you go get him? You’re nicer.” Hannibal looked apprehensive, but finally nodded, turning and heading towards Will’s door. Beverly picked her coffee back up, taking a drink and watching him slip past the door. _You better thank me for this, Graham. And get your head out of your ass_.

*

Will was laying on his stomach, face pressed into his pillow, stuck in a world of blank slumber. Consciousness tugged on him only when he felt the bed dipping by him, and then a hand in his hair, stroking gently, playing with his curls. When a sweet voice whispered, “Will,” he smiled to himself, giggling a little as the hand teased the back of his neck, then began to stroke along his spine, feeling bone beneath flesh and his thin t-shirt.

“Will,” Hannibal whispered, “Beverly wants you to get up.”

Will purred, shifting, the touch so pleasing it both soothed and ignited. Pinned beneath his body, he was hard- a typical morning experience- and he squirmed, once, letting a small breath leave him. Hannibal cocked his head, continued to stroke the man’s spine, feeling a sensation between his own legs, one he did not have a catalog for.

Will finally rolled over, flopped onto his back, the blanket tangling around his legs, and Hannibal studied his mostly sleeping face. His stubble was a bit thicker than it had been when he brought Hannibal home, his lips parts and pink. _Pretty_ was the word that came to mind, for Hannibal. Will was pretty. He liked Will. He knew that.

It made an odd feeling roar up in his chest, tightness that made him feel sick. He glanced down, reached out and touched Will’s collar bone through his shirt, stroking it the way Will had touched him, that first night. Will exhaled, shifting his hips, and Hannibal glanced down, noticed the press of his erection beneath his underwear. Confused, he raised an eyebrow, pulled his hand from Will’s collar bone and reached out, gently gliding his fingertips along its shape, heard Will make a little sound. He pressed his hand entirely over it, feeling it press against his palm, and Will openly moaned, eyelids fluttering.

His first thought was to push up into that touch- which he did, arching slightly, making another sound low in his throat. His second thought occurred a moment later, when his mind told him he should _be alone_ , and his eyes fluttered open. He glanced at Hannibal then gave a small cry, scrambling back. “What the hell!”

Hannibal pulled his hand back, cradling it against his chest, looking at Will with wide, shocked eyes. He opened his mouth like he might speak, but kept silent.

“What are you doing?” Will asked, grabbing for the blanket and pulling it over his waist. “You can’t just...just touch someone like that.”

“I’m sorry!” Hannibal quivered, shook his head, and Will saw the corners of his eyes growing wet. “I...I just wanted to wake you up. I’m sorry Will. I’m sorry. Please don’t be angry with me.” He wrapped his arms around himself, looked as if he wanted to sink into his clothing and disappear in its folds. Will’s face softened, and he shook his head, cursing himself.

“Hey,” he whispered, leaning forward and reaching out, touching Hannibal’s arm. “Hey, shh, it’s okay. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled.” He rubbed the Persocom’s arm affectionately, trying to soothe him. “Come here.” Hannibal hesitated, then crawled forward, slipping into the space against Will’s chest as the man wrapped an arm around him, hugging him. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t know.”

“I won’t do it again,” Hannibal whispered, shaking his head, and Will’s stomach tightened, hurt. He cursed himself for entertaining the thought of _liking_ the touch, of wanting it again.

“It’s okay.” He leaned over, pressed his mouth to Hannibal’s temple before he could stop himself- mouthed more than kissed. “You don’t just touch someone like that tho, okay? You only do that to someone you really...like.”

“Just like you only kiss people you like?” Will nodded.

“Yeah. It’s very...intimate.”

“Intimate.” Hannibal cataloged the world, and Will smiled, giving him another squeeze.

“Yeah. Now come on, let’s get up. I’ve got class soon.”

*

Will shifted his bag, looking around nervously as they entered the classroom. Taking a seat between he and Beverly, Hannibal was looking around with alert, happy eyes. Will had intended to leave him home, but Beverly had insisted they take him with them to class. She said the interaction would be good for him- and told Will he had to take Hannibal to the library after, anyway. She had reasoned that there were plenty of Persocoms that accompanied their owners to class, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

Brian had greeted all three of them- and Will couldn’t help but notice the way Hannibal perked up over it. How happy he looked when Jimmy walked across the table and settled down with him, allowed the larger Persocom to stroke his hair with one fingertip.

His presence made concentration harder, Will realized. As Dr. Bloom walked across the front of the room, discussing the reading he had done while at work the night prior, he found he kept drifting to the feeling Hannibal pressed up against his side, the way his arm fit so easily around the blond. Hannibal felt good- he wished he had nestled into Will’s chest, wished they could have fallen back into bed and stayed like that.

It was ridiculous, and Will knew it. But he wanted it, anyway. The damn Persocom was so _cute_ , and where Will had received so little attention in his life, Hannibal was willing to star him with eyes so intrigued it was as if he might never look away. It made Will feel _good_.

Class was over, the three packing up, when the click of heels brought all their heads up, watching as Alana Bloom closed the distance, leaned her hip against the table.

“And who is this?” she asked, eyeing Hannibal, who smiled at her, happily.

“My name is Hannibal,” he said, then adding, “I’m Will’s.” Will felt his stomach tighten impossibly, and he raised his hands, shaking his head.

“I found him,” he blurted, as if he needed to separate ownership- as if he couldn’t handle the thought of having that sort of power. Alana smiled.

“He’s an adorable model. You _found_ him?” The brunet nodded.

“Yeah, someone...threw him out. He’s not quite working properly. He woke up and didn’t know anything- couldn’t even talk. He’s learning, tho. He stays up all night reading. And watching TV.”

“Will is taking me to the library,” Hannibal announced, proudly, and Alana laughed.

“My, isn’t that sweet of him. Do you like reading, Hannibal?” He nodded, and Alana reached out, fixing the collar of his shirt, which had come untucked from his sweater. Hannibal let her, continuing to smile, and Will felt the hint of jealous lick at his belly. He tried to ignore it. “If you found him, Will, I assume you don’t have much in the way of supplies.”

“Well uh...no. I bought him some clothes, but that’s about it.” Alana nodded.

“I have some things around me house. My ex-husband was about Hannibal’s size, he left suits around my house that I have no use for. And considering you are graduating come spring, I’m sure it would be nice to have something more...classical for him. Would you like them?”

Will gawked, unable to speak for a moment. “Well, I...uh...if you really don’t mind. I’ll take anything for him, honestly.” Alana smiled, reaching out and petting Hannibal’s silken hair, the Persocom closing his eyes happily.

“Wonderful. Beverly- if you aren’t in a rush, would you care to help me with them? I do believe Will needs to get this darling to the library.” Beverly gave a _sure thing_ and stood up, waving goodbye to her friends and escaping with Dr. Bloom. Brian walked with Will and Hannibal to the library, then departed for his own class, leaving the two to walk in together.

Will guided Hannibal to the elevator, took him up to the second floor, and watched as he gawked when the doors opened, faced with endless shelves of books. “There’s so many,” he breathed, and Will smiled, taking his hand and guiding him towards the shelves.

“Tell me what you want,” Will said, “And I’ll help you find it. Anything at all.” Hannibal hummed, looking at the books in front of him, running his fingers along the spines.

“I want to understand people,” he finally said, looking at Will. “I want books on people.” Will stared at him, still clutching his other hand, and felt Hannibal squeeze it. “I want to understand you.” The brunet felt color rising in his cheeks, had to look away, Hannibal’s dark gaze too much, trying to take him in. He felt devoured by it, like those eyes were a monster’s gaping jaws, the endless rows of pearly teeth hidden away.

Will took Hannibal to the fourth floor, found him a general book on the human body, and a book on anatomy. Then, down to the third, found him the most basic psychology book he could. He didn’t doubt Hannibal would have no problem understanding it- he had already leafed through parts of the books Will had for Dr. Bloom’s current class. Finally, they stopped back on the second floor, where Will checked out a few fiction books- to give Hannibal a broader taste.

Hannibal had a near skip to his step as they made their way back to the apartment. He cradled the book on anatomy to his chest- the rest stowed away in Will’s bag- and the moment they were inside the apartment he plopped down on the couch, opening it. Will smiled, piling the rest of the books on the coffee table for him.

“I have to work on a paper,” he said, “before I leave for work tonight. I’m just going to be in my room if you need anything, okay?” Hannibal nodded, not looking up- enthralled by just the first page, and Will left him with a proud, confident smile on his face. He felt he was finally getting a handle on this situation, getting Hannibal moving in the right direction. It might take time, but he was sure he’d be running smoothly like any freshly bought store model soon.

*

“Are you sure Will won’t wonder where you are?” Alana was eyeing Beverly, who was walking next to her down the busy streets, hands wrapped around a to-go cup of hot chocolate.

“Nah, it’s fine. Half the time we don’t really know where the other is. And if he asks, I’ll just say we got stuck in traffic, and then you helped me with a few questions I had on the reading.” She smiled, looking over at Alana who was glancing away. “Relax a little.”

“If someone were to see-“

“They probably wouldn’t even notice us. Even if I did this.” Beverly hooked one arm in Alana’s, pulling herself closer to the woman as they walked, enjoying the fresh chill in the air. “No one is going to care. You weren’t this nervous when I came to visit you in your office-“

“Hush!” Beverly laughed. “There’s a difference between a heavy, locked door and the public street!”

“If you say so, ‘Lana. So maybe you should take me home?” Beverly raised her eyebrows suggestively, loving the roll of Alana’s eyes as they crossed the street, heading for Alana’s parked car. Once inside, Beverly leaned back against the seat, cradling her drink in her hands and watching Alana’s eyes as they flicked along the road- the way her hair sometimes fell just into her vision and she’d toss her head, ever so slightly, and the waves would bounce back.

Alana was beautiful. Beverly had thought so, when she’d given a guest lecture in one of her classes the prior semester. Over the summer, she’d found reason here and there to run into her on campus- had taken her class simply because her crystalline eyes could hold her captive for hours.

The first kiss she’d stolen, in a near dark classroom after a lengthy explanation of the chapter they had read only two weeks into class, had been a sort of magic Beverly didn’t know existed. The fact that Alana had kissed her back, and gripped her hoodie and pulled her in, body sliding against her warmth, had left her breathless. And now, weeks into the affair, she was still just as taken, as strung out on the woman as she had been with that first kiss.

Beverly hoped the feeling never went away.

“It’s nice of you, to offer to give Will things for Hannibal,” Beverly said as Alana pulled away from the busy traffic, a few blocks from her house now. “It means a lot to him, really. He doesn’t have much.”

“I presumed not. From what you’ve told me, working those late hours. He doesn’t have any family?” Beverly shook her head.

“Nope. He’s been working to get him self through school. He’s all alone in this world- or was. He’s got me, and Brian. But we’re not the same, I know that. I know he knows that.” Beverly curled up, a little, a sad smile on her face over Will. He meant the world to her, with his silly-sweet smile and the way he’d blush when she played too rough, talked too much. She loved him, in a way she hadn’t expected- felt more like he was a her arm, something she needed to function, wouldn’t feel complete without.

It was different from how enthralled she was with Alana, wasn’t romantic or sexual, and she was thankful for that. She just wanted to see him smile.

They pulled into Alana’s driveway and the engine went silent. Beverly waited until Alana had climbed out to even open her door, watching her walk across the yard, fish her keys from the pockets of her jacket. The autumn sun did the most amazing things to her hair, breathed life into it and fire, and Beverly watched it dance in the breeze, until Alana was stepping inside and Beverly was standing alone, lovesick to the point of dizziness.

*

Will emerged from his room, stretching, his paper complete in record time- found Hannibal standing in the kitchenette, his book left open and face down on the couch. Will walked over to him, rubbed his hand along his back, was given a smile when the blond turned to face him.

“What are you doing?” Will asked, peeking over his shoulder.

“Making you dinner. You are always gone when Beverly eats. I don’t want you to be hungry, that would make you sad.” Will stared, pressing closer, until he was against Hannibal’s back without realizing it, fitting against him as if they were cut from the same stone.

“You...don’t have to do that,” Will whispered, and Hannibal leaned back, tipping his head against Will’s shoulder and staring up, at the ceiling.

“I want to,” he whispered, almost silently, staring up into the nothing. Will slipped an arm around his waist- couldn’t help it- and stood silently with him, wondering what was running through his head, what thoughts were on his mind.

He didn’t correct himself until much later, when he was walking down the streets, towards work. Didn’t bother to think that Hannibal didn’t have thoughts, he had programming- that he couldn’t want, not outside his programmed desires. And when the thoughts did hit him, he pushed them aside, and focused instead on how warm Hannibal had felt, fitted against him.

Like he was real. Like he was a man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will I don't know if books on anatomy are the best choice here...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize these updates take me longer than I'd like. I'm very busy at work currently- and I keep getting crazy one-shot ideas! This chapter is a bit longer to make up for the wait :)

Will was jolted awake the next day by Beverly jumping onto his bed, straddling his ass and leaning down, breathing into his ear, “Good morning sunshine!” He jerked his head up as she laughed, ruffling the back of his curls.

“Bev- what the hell?” His voice was hoarse as he looked up, and she tumbled off of him, onto the bed, grinning. He rolled onto his side, blinking back sleep, and tried to glare at her- failing miserably. “What are you doing?”

“Waking you up. You _do_ have class this morning.” She lifted one of her legs, draping it over Will’s. “Or are you asking why it’s me and not that cute little thing you brought home?” Will’s cheeks flushed, and when he didn’t respond she snickered, pushing herself up and choosing to, instead of rolling off the other side, climb over Will to get off the bed. He grunted, rolled his eyes, then stood up himself, stretching. “Come have a look.”

Will followed Beverly out of the bedroom, noted that the apartment was oddly quiet, except for the dull sounds of the television. Hannibal wasn’t bustling about the little kitchenette, he hadn’t come to wake Will up-

Instead, he was slumped over the arm of the couch, a book at his feet, passed out. Will stared at him, the way his face was cradled along his arm, and felt a twitch in his finger tips to touch him, stroke his hair and shoulders and back, wrap him up and warmth and curl up in bed for the rest of the day.

“I woke up and he was like this,” Beverly whispered.

“I didn’t know they could fall asleep.”

“Jimmy sleeps sometimes. Ask Brian about it, he sent me a text, wants you to stop by the shop today after your classes, he fixed your phone.” Will nodded, quietly walking across the room towards Hannibal. He reached down, touched his hair, brushing it back from his forehead, and the Persocom stirred, shifting, lifting his head slightly and opening his eyes.

“Hello Will.” He yawned, sitting up properly, but Will kept stroking his hair.

“Hey. Good morning.” Hannibal blinked, waking up a little more.

“Morning? Ah. I must have fallen asleep. I apologize.” He leaned down, reached for the book that had fallen to his feet- the anatomy book- and settled it back on his lap. He didn’t seemed confused over this, and Will decided to keep his questions over it quiet for now. He only smiled more, hoping that whatever Persocoms saw behind their closed eyes was something pleasant.

*

Will left Hannibal alone for the morning and early afternoon to attend his classes, Beverly leaving as well for work. She had nagged him, as they both hurried for the door, that they needed groceries and they should all go, once they were home. Hannibal included. She felt bad that he was left in the apartment so much.

Will couldn’t disagree- especially when Hannibal perked up over the prospect of more time with Will.

After his two seminars, he made his way into the heart of the city, to the shop Brian worked at. His friend was at the counter when he walked in, straightening Jimmy’s sweater, who was standing on the counter. “Hi Will,” he offered, smiling, as the little Persocom turned and waved.

“Hi guys.” Will crossed the room, leaned against the counter as Brian dug his phone out, now with a fresh, uncracked screen.

“Don’t drop it again,” Brian said as Will pocketed it, “or I’ll charge you.”

“You said that the first time.” They laughed, smiling, until it began to fade and Will, tapping his fingers on the counter, asked quietly, “Hey, weird question. Do Persocoms sleep?”

“Sleep? Well sorta. You’ve seen Jimmy go into sleep mode.” Jimmy smiled over being mentioned, puffing his chest out with pride as Brian pet his hair with a single finger.

“But can they just fall asleep?”

“Some Persocoms are programmed to fall asleep when their batteries get low. They may even appear drowsy prior, just as humans act.” Will looked up and Brian turned, eyeing the door to the back of the shop that was open. Filling it’s space, the owner, Jack Crawford, was standing in it, wiping his hands on a small rag. “You must be Will Graham.”

“Uh, yeah.” Will stood up as the man walked over, extending his hand across the counter. Will shook it. “You’re the owner?”

“Jack Crawford. Brian tells me you’ve come into quite the Persocom.” Will nodded. “Why don’t you come on around back with me, tell me about him. If you have a minute.” Will shrugged a shoulder, giving a _sure_ , and Jack clapped Brian on the shoulder. “Keep control up here kid.”

Will followed Jack back into the back room, following him around tables and boxes, to the table he had been working at. Laying atop it was a Persocom, eyes closed and her blonde curls fanned out around her face. She could have been asleep, except her stomach was open, the gears inside her exposed, clumps of wire seeming raw.

“Brian told me a few things about your Persocom. Says he tried to run some tests, but he couldn’t get any readings. Do you mind?” Jack picked up a wire cutter, and Will shook his head. “Thanks. Time is precious. So tell me about the model.”

“Well he’s...I don’t know.” _Beautiful_. “He’s learning. When I found him- did Brian tell you that?” Jack nodded. “Well when I found him, he couldn’t talk. Didn’t know anything at all. He kept saying _Hanni_. He was wearing a bracelet that said _Hannibal_ , so he knew...half his name. But he couldn’t even get dressed, I...I had to show him.” Will blushed a little, reached up to adjust his glasses. “But now he’s...learning. And fast. He learned to speak just from watching TV. He reads now. He stays up all night. Except...I guess he fell asleep last night.”

Jack nodded, reaching in to tinker with the bundle of wires Will saw exposed. His hands worked with a calm tenderness, a respect for the material he touched. It soothed the tension building between Will’s shoulders. “He must have some damn good programming,” Jack said, “Learning software and programming does exist that would astound you. Some Persocoms can pick up on complex patterns and learn. It appears that’s what your Hannibal is doing.”

_Your Hannibal_. Will swallowed. “So...do you think I can just teach him everything? Do I need...I don’t know, to update his system somehow?”

“That I can’t tell without getting a look at him.” Jack snipped a wire, then set his tools aside, bringing in a fresh piece and securing it. “I’m on a tight schedule with this model here- she had a circuiting problem, and her family needs her back ASAP. Can you stop by sometime this weekend?”

“I work nights,” Will said, tapping his chin, “But I’m off Sunday. Can we stop by that evening? Will you be here.”

“Trust me kid,” Jack started, not looking up form his work, “there’s precious time I’m not here.”

*

When Will let himself into the apartment, he found Beverly standing in front of her bedroom door, arms folded, tapping her foot. He dropped his bag, quirking an eyebrow up at her. “What’re you doing?” he asked, just as the door opened and she clapped excitedly, making a noise and rushing to the doorway.

“You look so handsome,” she cooed, running her hands along something, presumably smoothing down fabric. Will took a few more steps in, as she stepped back, allowed Hannibal space to step out-

Dressed in a suit. An _expensive_ suit. It looked as if the fabric would move like silk beneath Will’s fingers, a dark blue that boarded black with just a hint of pinstripes. Both Hannibal’s shirt and tie were a deep plum, giving him such a different look from the brighter or more faded colors Will had dressed him in.

“Will,” he said, smiling- there was excitement but it was suddenly restrained, and Will swallowed. He wanted to touch, he did want to know how his hands would move if they were to glide up along Hannibal’s chest, if he could wrap that tie around his hand and pull him down for a-

The brunet shook his head, looking at Beverly and ignoring the Persocom. “Where did this come from?”

“Dr. Bloom. She gave us another suit too- plaid. And a few other more casual articles of clothing.” She reached out, punched Will’s arm. “Hey, don’t look at me! Tell him he’s handsome!” Will looked back at Hannibal, swallowed the lump in his throat, his eyes flickering over every bit of him he could. Handsome was an understatement.

“You...look good,” Will forced out, nodding, “Definitely. But uh...you’re not wearing that out if we’re going grocery shopping. Go change.” He turned on his heel without another word, rushing off, away from the two. He slammed his door shut, heard Beverly huff her exasperation before he did so.

Once it was closed he leaned against it, reaching down and palming himself through his jeans, tipping his head back. He groaned, shifting, pushing against his hand. He shouldn’t have gotten so turned on by a damn _suit_ , but Hannibal had looked so utterly in control, like every secret of the world was suddenly hidden behind his eyes and in his hands.

God, he looked good.

Will exhaled through his nose, gritting his teeth and frantically working at the button and zipper of his pants, cursing himself violently. He shouldn’t be turned on by Hannibal _at all_ , he wasn’t even human. _But god is he handsome as fuck_. Will bit his lip. _You’re sick Graham, go fuck yourself._

The offer was rather tempting.

*

Hannibal brushed his hands back through his hair as Beverly hung his suit up in her closet- feeling it was safer than if it was in Will’s. She hadn’t left the room for him to change- as it was, he was naked from the waist up still, but neither seemed bothered by it.

“Don’t let Will get to you,” Beverly said, turning just as Hannibal tugged on his button down, “You looked amazing and he knew it. He’s just intimidated.”

“Why would Will be intimidated by me?” Hannibal worked on the bottom few buttons, not looking at Beverly, but she heard the unhappiness in his voice. He had wanted Will to praise him. She had wanted Will to praise him.

_God dammit Graham_.

“You’re attractive,” she offered, walking over as he finished the second to last button- leaving one open. He reached for his sweater, tugging it over his head, and Beverly reached out, popping his collar over the fabric. “He doesn’t know how to handle that.”

Hannibal blinked, and she wondered if he was trying to understand, to search the data he had been storing over the past few days. “How does one normally handle attraction?”

“A lot fucking better than Will does.” Hannibal continued to stare at her, and she clicked her tongue, thinking. “Okay, serious answer. Usually you compliment who you’re attracted to, you’re nice to them. If the attraction is mutual, you might get intimate.”

“Intimate?” She nodded.

“Yeah, cuddling, you know, cute stuff. Or hey, sex if you’re there.”

“Sex?” Beverly reached up, laughing and trying to cover her mouth.

“Fuck okay, we’ll discuss that one later Hannibal. Will is gonna kill me as is. Let’s gather him up and go get some groceries- I’d like to be able to eat dinner tonight!”

*

Will had been waiting for them, avoiding eye contact with either, trying to keep his guilty conscious at bay over the way he’d stroked himself, pressed against his door with his head tipped back, thinking of Hannibal in that suit- thinking of the Hannibal pushing up against him, mouthing at his neck and taking him in hand, whispering to him.

His stomach was tight and he hated himself for what he’d done. He didn’t want to be like that- didn’t want to be one of those guys that fucked his Persocom. He knew plenty of people did, but it just felt strange to him. Hannibal wasn’t human, no matter how warm his hands were, how his eyes delved into Will and seemed to explore him, how his lips curved when he smiled-

“Earth to Will!” Will looked up, caught both Hannibal and Beverly looking at him. Beverly was holding out a basket, which he took without a word, as she grabbed one for herself. He looked away, following her and Hannibal, who kept looking back at him, trying to catch his eyes.

By the third glance back, Hannibal was no longer smiling.

Will didn’t have much of an in put on what went into the baskets. Although he noticed Hannibal whispering to Beverly, pointing to things. And she took every single one of his suggestions, until their baskets were full and Will didn’t want to think about the bill.

The three of them split the bags for the walk home. Will stayed still behind, but noticed Hannibal dropped back, closer to him, only a step ahead. If he were to just close the tiny gap, he could be so close, could brush his hand-

_Stop it Graham. Stop it_.

Once the groceries were away, Beverly slipped off into her room, muttering something about plans, and Will went to his, thinking about a paper he needed to start. Alone, Hannibal set to work in the kitchenette, was still there when Beverly walked out, tugging on her black dress and fluffing her hair. She smiled at him, leaning her hip against the counter and watching him move.

“Will Will be happy if I make him dinner?” Hannibal asked, not looking away from the pan where he was drying some fish. “Is that an appropriate way to show attraction?”

“It’s a very appropriate way,” Beverly said, reaching out and rubbing his back tenderly. She didn’t need to ask the Persocom about his attraction to Will, she saw it blatantly. She loved it. She forgot most of the time that Hannibal wasn’t even human-

And that didn’t bother her.

“It’s just going to be you two,” she said with a soft smile, “I have plans, okay? I might be late- if I come home.” She wrapped an arm around him, giving him a squeeze, then walked over to Will’s closed door, knocking and allowing herself in when he grunted at her through it. He was sitting on his bed, typing away on his laptop, a few open books around him. She walked over, crawling onto his bed and moving one. He glanced at her, stopped typing, and actually turned, giving her a full look.

“Bev, you look...”

“Good?” she asked, laughing, and he grinned.

“Fucking amazing,” he corrected, and she threw an arm around his shoulders. “Going out?”

“Yeah, plans. I told Hannibal I’d be late, if I even come home. He’s making you dinner.” Will sighed, glancing back at his computer, and she leaned her head against his. “Be a little sweeter to him, Graham.”

“He’s a Per-“

“He’s Hannibal.” She bent her elbow, found Will’s curls and played with them, talking without looking at him. “He’s Hannibal and he likes you. A lot. Forget about his wires and everything and just enjoy the evening.”

“He could be program-“

“Will, I don’t want to hear a thing about his programming.” She pulled back, turning to face him, and he looked at her. “Seriously. Just forget it, for a night. Just enjoy being with him.” She reached out, pinched his cheek and he tried to bat her away, causing her to laugh. She climbed off of his bed, adjusting her dress again, then with a smile added, “Oh, and tell him he’s pretty or something.” She gave him a wink, then walked out, in search of her shoes for the night.

*

Will emerged from his room after Beverly had left, found Hannibal plating dinner- he noticed two plates, and it had never occurred to him that Hannibal could eat. He filed that away as something else to bring up come Sunday, when he brought him to see Jack.

_You should tell him about that_.

“That smells great,” Will offered, watching Hannibal set both plates at the small table. He moved methodically- not robotically though, not necessarily programmed, just in a fluid way that made Will think he felt at home. _Guess that’s the result of watching all those late night cooking shows_. Will settled down at the table, waited until Hannibal sat with him, caught only a single quick glance from the blond before he lifted a fork and took a tentative bite of the food. Will waited a moment, then whispered, “I didn’t know you might need to eat.”

“I think it’s a matter of choice,” Hannibal whispered, his tongue darting along his pink lips. Will nodded, rolled the word _choice_ over in his head, on his silent tongue. Did Hannibal even have the option of choice?

Will chose to voice no more opinions on it, instead ate in silence, enjoying Hannibal’s company. He tried to take Beverly’s advice, at least slightly- to just enjoy the company. It was nice, different, a soothingness to it.

Before they were done, Will began tentatively asking Hannibal about the books he was reading, if he was enjoying them. Hannibal perked up then, smiling at Will and launching into his joy over the anatomy book Will had borrowed for him, suddenly breaking out in a rant about the muscles in Will’s legs. The brunet laughed, smiled and leaned his chin on his hand, watching the way his face seemed to light up in excitement.

“Go find something to watch,” Will offered as he set the empty dishes in the sink. “I’ll wash these. There should be some movies under the TV if you can’t find something on there.” Hannibal stood up, and then Will offered with a small smile, “I’d like to spend some time with you.”

Hannibal grinned, hurrying off, and Will turned, grabbing the sponge and setting the washing the dishes. He was setting the plates away when he heard a noise from the TV- a blatant moan, and then a huffed breath, and he nearly dropped the plate. He turned, crossing the room quickly, saw Hannibal settled on his knees on the couch, leaning over one of the arms and watching intently as a naked man, flopped down on his back on a bed, was penetrated by another.

Will had forgotten about the time he’d thrown one of his pornos in with the rest of the movies, trying to hide it from a Beverly who had come home early- why he thought to watch it on the damn television and not on his laptop he would never understand.

“Shit,” he cursed, feeling frozen as one man arched, his legs spread wider, and Hannibal looked back at him.

“Will, what are they doing?” Will swallowed, wanted to turn it off but couldn’t seem to move. He shook his head, reaching up to rake a hand back through his curls.

“They’re, uhm...” He took a deep breath, tried to remind himself Hannibal wasn’t a child or anything, just looking at a world he hadn’t known before. “They’re having sex.”

“So they’re attracted to each other.” Will shrugged a shoulder.

“Uh, yeah. Probably. C’mon, turn it off let’s-“

“But I want to watch this.” He turned back, inclining his head slightly, looking intrigued. “It’s fascinating. Does it feel good?” Will felt dizzy and dropped down onto the couch, leaning his head back.

“Yeah,” he whispered, “ _real_ good.” He almost laughed at himself then, closing his eyes and trying to ground himself, feel the floor beneath his feet, the couch he was settled on. He felt it move but didn’t open his eyes, until suddenly there was a weight pressing over him. His eyes opened, head lifted, and he found Hannibal straddling him, watching him. Will gawked for a moment, tried to shift- partially aroused for both the porn on even more so by the sudden contact between the two- but only succeeded in pressing up against Hannibal, his cock half hard and he was sure noticeable.

Hannibal gave a little shocked sigh, and Will knew _definitely_ noticeable.

“What are you doing?” Will finally asked, as Hannibal leaned forward, rested his hands on the back of the couch and watched him.

“Are you attracted to me, Will?” Will blanched, cheeks flushing. “Beverly said you were. She said you don’t handle attraction well.” Will’s tongue felt like lead, and he opened his mouth but lost his breath as Hannibal shifted on his lap, creating a bit of friction and pressure that felt _too good_ \- far more than it should. “Beverly said when two people are attracted to each other, they have sex. Should we have sex?”

“Wh-what?” Will stammered, trying to push forward, only getting closer to Hannibal. He reached out to brace them both, placed his hands at his waist.

“I like you. If sex is what happens when two people are attracted to each other-“

“Not always,” Will said, shaking his head. “Hannibal...we...” He sucked his lower lip into his mouth, worrying it, tightening his hold on Hannibal’s waist. Hannibal smiled- it was so true that Will felt his heart fluttering like wild, and then the blond was leaning in, pressing his mouth to Will’s again, sliding along his thighs until he couldn’t get closer. Will gripped at his sweater, groaned, opened his mouth for his tongue and sucked on it, unable to breathe, unsure if he was even alive at that moment.

One of Hannibal’s hands left the couch, buried in Will’s hair, tugging, and Will gasped, opening his mouth wider, unable to fight off the blond as he tasted every corner, his teeth, his tongue. He tried to speak but his words were gone, and he was pushing up against Hannibal before he could stop himself, his cock aching, and Hannibal’s body was there and warm and he _moaned_ at Will’s actions.

He could feel it. He knew it felt good. That drove Will simply mad.

“Do you want to?” Hannibal whispered, nearly panting, against Will’s lips. Some of the innocence seemed to have fallen from his voice- it had dipped lower now- and he was rocking down against Will in a way that was making the brunet so light headed he was sure he could pass out.

He wanted to. He wanted to so badly. He wanted Hannibal to press him right into the couch and fuck him until he screamed. He wanted his hands in his hair and his mouth on his neck, wanted him to take and take and explore his body until he had learned every inch and curve.

But the desire couldn’t leave his mouth. It tangled in his tongue, choked him in his throat, but never formed into words. He squeezed Hannibal’s waist, tried to push him away, managed to rest his forehead against his. “Hannibal,” he whispered, trying so hard to ignore the desire in his belly, “No.”

“No?” Hannibal leaned back, and Will nodded. “You don’t want to?” Hannibal looked almost devastated, and Will felt his heart seizing up. He straightened, slipped his arms fully around him, and pulled him down for a proper embrace, resting Hannibal’s head to his chest. “Does that mean you don’t like me?” Hannibal whispered, clutching at Will’s shirt, and Will stroked his hair.

“No it doesn’t,” he whispered, wanting to hold the blond so tightly he sank right into his skin. “I like you Hannibal. I like you a lot. And I want to spend time with you. Can we do that?” Hannibal made a small sound, and Will rocked him, gently, felt him melting over him. “How about this. Let’s watch a movie. I’ll explain anything you don’t understand. And tonight, instead of staying up reading and watching TV, you come sleep with me, okay?”

“Can we be like this?” Hannibal whispered, sounding so small in his body, in the apartment, in the world, and Will squeezed.

“Of course,” he whispered, dipping down and kissing his hair. “You want me to hold you?” Hannibal nodded, squeezing his eyes shut and nestling along Will’s chest more, making soft sounds as one of Will’s hands stroked along his back. “Then I will,” Will promised, leaning back into the couch and taking Hannibal with him, “all night.”


	6. Chapter 6

Beverly stared down at the wine in her glass, swirling it around but not drinking. Behind her, Alana was moving around the bedroom, padding around in her bare feet, pulling the zipper of her dress down her side. She was talking, and Beverly was listening but adding nothing. It was only when Alana had stepped out of her dress and walked around the bed, stopping with her hands on her hips and eyeing Beverly that she even looked up from the wine.

“What’s wrong?” Alana asked, her dark waves falling over her shoulders, falling against the cream and orange of her bra- matching her panties which Beverly hadn’t look at yet, but she knew. She knew because she knew Alana.

“Nothing,” Beverly offered with a half smile, forcing the glass to her lips and taking a sip. She tried not to think about the waitress asking if they were having a good _girls’ night_ , about Alana laughing and playing them off as friends. She tried not to think how pretty she looked in every bit of lighting she had been under tonight- the warm lights of the restaurants, the natural darkness outside by the car- the blackness of her bedroom, light streaming in from the moon through a single window with the curtains open.

She looked so perfect, birthed of the shadows and made of harsh liquid ink, and Beverly couldn’t handle it. Her chest tightened and she forced herself to swallow the wine.

“If nothing’s wrong,” Alana teased, “why are you still dressed?” She offered her a charming smile, the kind that won wars and crumbled walls and shook Beverly’s world down to its core. Beverly stood up, setting her wine glass aside and forcing a smirk, reaching back for the zipper of her own dress and grabbing it, pulling it down.

“Better?” she asked, pulling it from her shoulders and letting it pool on the floor around her feet. Alana flicked her eyes along her, smile turning from charming to devious, almost predatory.

“Much.” She reached out, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, hand reaching into her hair, and kissed her, sucking the breath up from her lungs. Beverly let her, gave it freely, and locked the rest of her chest up inside her ribs- the ache over how beautiful Alana truly was, that sick feeling over being cast off as _just a friend_ -

If Beverly’s mouth had been free to laugh, she might- over how she was realizing she didn’t handle attraction much better than Will did.

*

Will’s eyelids flexed, remaining closed, as he shifted, sighing softly as he became aware of his body again, aware of the flesh and bone that enclosed his mind. There was a slight pressure on his chest, and when he tightened his arms around the shape it grew- wisps of silk and the feeling of rose petals along his collar bone- then the shock of suddenly smooth metal.

He opened his eyes. Hannibal was in his arms.

Will smiled, letting his fingers rub along the skin of his shoulder blades and back, studying what he could of the sleeping Persocom. If it weren’t for the ears, he’d believe this was a man in his arms, the heat of Hannibal’s skin and his soft breaths so convincing Will really _could_ ignore them.

Hannibal stirred, leaning his head back and opening his eyes, looking up at Will. The moment he saw Will’s smile his own appeared, adding a sweetness to his face that made Will’s chest hurt. “Good morning,” the brunet offered, and then, feeling daring, pressed his mouth to the bridge of his nose, laughing as Hannibal smiled more, squirming along his body to tilt up and find his mouth- stealing a kiss.

Will let him.

“Good morning Will. Would you like me to make breakfast?” Will pursed his lips, thinking, and then shook his head, settling back into his pillow.

“Nah,” he said, “not right now. C’mere.” He pulled him down, back against his chest, holding him there, and Hannibal seemed to melt, kissing Will’s neck in a way that made the brunet close his eyes for a moment, trying to rein in some control. Control over himself, to keep Hannibal in his arms- rolling Beverly’s advice over in his head. Control over himself to keep him grabbing Hannibal’s hips and grinding up into him, remembering how he had straddled Will’s lap the previous night, the offer Will could have taken.

“Did you sleep well?” Hannibal whispered, walking his fingers along Will’s chest, and Will could feel it all through his t-shirt. He gave a little groan as he shifted a bit.

“Better than I have in a long time,” he admitted, his foot running along Hannibal’s calf. “Maybe I just needed company. Sometimes I have nightmares.”

“What happens in a nightmare?” Hannibal asked, and Will frowned.

“They’re bad dreams.”

“What’s a dream?” Will looked down at Hannibal, licking his lips. _That’s right. He probably...doesn’t dream..._

“Pictures, behind your eyes,” Will offered, “they tell a story. Sometimes they make sense, sometimes they don’t. Like a movie. A nightmare is when they’re scary.”

“Oh.” Hannibal nodded for a moment, then, “I have those.” Will raised his eyebrows.

“You do?” Hannibal nodded. “Uhm...about what?”

“I don’t always know,” Hannibal offered, leaning over Will’s chest to place a kiss to his neck again, making a little sound into his flesh that had Will thinking he should probably shove the blanket between them or something. “Sometimes I remember things. Colors.”

“What colors?”

“Red.” Hannibal hesitated, then nipped at Will’s earlobe, crawling onto him so they were chest to chest, Hannibal’s body a comforting weight pressing Will into the mattress. “Always red.” Will turned his head looked at him, and Hannibal hovered close, exhaled over his lips. “I want to kiss you, Will.” A moment passed between them, Hannibal’s eyes flicking away from Will’s, back again- “But I don’t want to upset you.”

Will tilted his head, slightly, then leaned closer, ghosting his mouth over Hannibal’s. “You can kiss me,” he whispered, even if he knew it wasn’t the smart decision, but the words were there, tying their mouths together like wire, and then Hannibal was pushing him down, taking his mouth and kissing him with all velvet lips, angles that had Will arching, leaning his head back- opening his mouth when Hannibal’s tongue beckoned him to. He reached up, clutched at Hannibal’s button down- left open, fisted his hands in his, forcing him to stay close as he pushed his hips up.

He felt Hannibal exhale into his mouth, and Will sucked on his tongue, making the blond mewl into his mouth. “Will,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to his. “I feel...hot.”

“Like a fire got up under your skin?” Hannibal groaned, pressing his hips against Will’s- and Will tried not to gasp, felt his cock confined in just his underwear, as hard as the brunet’s was.

“ _Yes_.” He kissed him again, mewling into Will’s mouth, nipping at his lower lip. “What is going on?”

“You just need t-to...breathe,” Will offered, falling into the kisses again. His mind was quickly losing its grip on that control he thought he had. “T-take a shower, it’ll help.”

“I don’t want to,” Hannibal whispered, reaching a hand into Will’s hair and rocking their hips together, openly moaning at the new sensations. “I want to kiss you more.” He stole one, Will trying to turn away and Hannibal getting the corner of his mouth. “ _Please_.”

Will sucked his own lip into his mouth, shook his head- as much as the answer hurt. Hannibal whined, but did not try again, and Will released his iron hold on his shirt, choosing to smooth a hand down his back. “Go take a shower,” Will whispered, “Okay? I promise, it’ll feel better. So long as it won’t...damage you.” He reached up, tracing his fingers along one of Hannibal’s ears, and the blond shook his head.

“It won’t.” Will wanted to ask how he was sure- but decided against it. However Hannibal was becoming so aware of himself and his wiring, he felt was a private matter for just him.

“I’ll kiss you after,” Will promised, hating to see how sad the Persocom’s eyes looked. “One more time before Beverly comes home. Okay?” Hannibal nodded, crawling off of Will and climbing out of bed. He padded out of the room and Will listened as he crossed the apartment, the closing of the bathroom door- the faint sound of running water. He sighed, reaching up and digging the heels of his hands into his eyes, frowning.

_Smart Graham, smart. You really had control there_. He groaned, trying to focus on the colors bursting behind his eyelids and not on the ache in his groin.

*

He waited until he had thought he’d mostly calmed down, then made his way into the kitchenette. It was late, he realized it was after ten and sighed, planning out his time until his shift started that evening- he had that paper he had been working on-

He stopped thinking when the bathroom door opened and Hannibal walked out, one hand holding a towel around his waist. His hair was wet, and Will swallowed, trying to focus on that and not his state of undress. He leaned back against the counter, gripping it until his knuckles went white. Hannibal stopped, flicked his eyes to Will, took in his grip- and smirked, smug and seeming so different from the man Will had kissed earlier.

_Persocom. He’s not a man dammit._

The blond took the few steps to Will, closing in until Will could feel his body heat- god, he wasn’t sure a Persocom should run so warm- and tilted his head, close to Will’s lips.

“You promised,” he whispered, and Will leaned forward, kissed him far more eagerly than he meant to. Hannibal pushed against him, letting go of his towel and leaving it pinned up only by the press of their bodies. Will tensed, slightly, as Hannibal’s hands found his waist, and then the Persocom was lifting him with ease, pushing him up onto the counter. Will released his iron grip on the counter and wrapped his arms around Hannibal’s shoulders, gripping at skin, his hair, opening his mouth wider so the blond could delve his tongue in deeper.

Will moaned around it, unable to stop himself, and Hannibal groaned in response. “It didn’t help,” he whispered, nipping at Will’s lower lip. “The shower. There’s still fire in me, Will. It almost hurts.”

“You can feel pain-“

“I can feel _everything_.” He kissed Will again, possessing and owning his mouth, and Will clutched, moaning, shifting and thinking if he opened his eyes, if he leaned back- Hannibal was naked.

Hannibal was naked and kissing him.

Will felt his heart thudding in his chest, blood pounding so loudly in his skull it was all he heard, as Hannibal’s mouth took his again, as a key slid into the lock of the apartment door and turned. He heard nothing but Hannibal’s breathing, his own pulse, the sound of their lips sliding together- not even the door as it opened, or Beverly’s heels clicking on the floor.

He only heard the door slam shut- felt Hannibal tense and pull away, turning his head and glancing over his shoulder. Will followed his gaze, saw Beverly standing there, arms folded, grinning at them.

“Took my advice?” she asked, and Will blushed- even tho he was the one fully clothed and Hannibal naked. He opened his mouth to speak, could only stutter out,

“It’s not-“

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Okay Graham, Hannibal’s not naked in our kitchen or anything. Just making breakfast?” Will swallowed as she walked over, leaning her arm up on Hannibal’s shoulder and smiling at him. “Did he take advantage of you sweetie?” Her tone was teasing, and Will wondered if Hannibal picked up on it.

“Never.” Hannibal smiled and Beverly kissed his cheek, reaching down to smack his ass. He jerked forward, looking confused, and Beverly laughed, heading off to her room to leave them there- Will having to fumble for words to get off the counter, to get Hannibal to put his towel back on as he _tried_ to not glance over every inch of skin exposed.

*

“Take him with you!” Beverly said, a few hours later- dress gone and replaced by sweatpants as Will packed his bag for the night.

“Are you crazy Bev? I can’t...I can’t explain everything in the shop to him.”

“Just show him, it’ll work better.” Will rolled his eyes, and she grinned. “Besides, I think he’s got a good grasp of all that now. Have fun last night?”

Will blushed, thinking of Hannibal staring at the porn on the TV, of asking Will so calmly and nonchalantly _do you want to have sex?_ He worried his lip for a moment.

“Yeah. We watched a few movies. I...I let him sleep in bed with me. That made him happy.” Beverly nodded, her teasing smile softening.

“I’m sure it did.” She walked around the coffee table, looking at the books on there, the anatomy book left open. “He’s got quite the interesting taste in books.”

“He wants to know about us. I should get him more- don’t let me forget Monday, okay?” Beverly nodded. Will straightened up from stuffing one of his own books into his bag, throwing it over his shoulder. “He’ll be fine with the books tonight. And when I come home, I’ll take him to bed with me. That way we won’t run the risk of his...battery running low.”

It felt strange to say that, and Will looked away, a sick coil building in his stomach, a reminder that Hannibal wasn’t human. Whatever he was doing, it was programmed into him somewhere.

_But aren’t we programmed too?_ Will shifted his bag, thinking on it, as Hannibal emerged from his bedroom, cradling one of Will’s old psychology books. He walked over to Will, hesitating, glancing at him, and Will gave him a reassuring smile. Hannibal mimicked it, then leaned in, kissing the corner of his mouth.

“Have a good night at work,” he said, as Beverly watched, smiling over how almost sickeningly sweet it all was.

“Thanks,” Will whispered, resting a hand on his lower back, thumb tracing light circles. “Beverly is here if you need anything?” Hannibal nodded, and Will gave him one last smile, before he made his way out to start his night.

*

Will tried to focus on reading for a class during the final dead hours at the shop. But the words dissolved into nothingness, and when he closed his eyes he saw Hannibal watching him, kissing him, could feel his breath. Even on the walk home, when the air was especially almost bitter, all he could feel was Hannibal’s warmth.

He let himself into the apartment, found Hannibal laying on the couch on his belly, flipping through the anatomy book. It looked as if he had finished it- and had done quite a number on the psychology book he had just burrowed from Will as well, as it lay open near the end and left on the coffee table. He smiled as Will locked the door, watched him walk over and drop down to his knees. The brunet reached out, rubbed between Hannibal’s shoulders blades affectionately.

“Did you enjoy yourself while I was gone?”

“I missed you.” Hannibal said it with no hesitation, but then added, “But I did enjoy the books. Will you get me more?”

“Of course. Whatever you want. We can go to the library on Monday, okay?” Hannibal nodded, and Will’s hand slipped down along his spine. “Will you come to bed with me?”

“If I do, can I kiss you again?” Will laughed, trying to keep from blushing.

“How about I kiss you?” Hannibal turned back to look at him, then nodded. He closed the book and Will took it, setting it on the coffee table and leading him into the bedroom. Will dropped his bag and started peeling off his layers, aware taht Hannibal stripped of everything but his underwear, and was crawling into the bed, curling up and waiting for him.

_He seems to wear even less every time he’s in your bed, Graham_. Will shook the thought off and crawled in in his t-shirt and underwear, laying on his side and looking at Hannibal in the dark. He reached out, brushing some of his hair back- could see him smile, make out the lines of his lips. His fingers brushed along the metal of his ears, but this time instead of sending a shock through his body that screamed _stop_ , all they did was offer a smooth surface for his fingers to slip over, back into Hannibal’s hair so he could pull him in closer and kiss him. It was gentle, deliberately so, and Hannibal followed Will’s lips, giving him small breaths and pleased noises until he had sucked all the breath from his system.

Then, Will wrapped his arms around him, pulling Hannibal against his chest and cradling him, closing his eyes to enjoy the gentle sounds of the city streets outside.

Will wondered vaguely, right before dropping off to sleep, if Hannibal had a specific color for him in his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See Will, you can get over this whole Hannibal's-not-human-thing. Probably. Maybe.


	7. Chapter 7

“He’s going to help us learn about you,” Will said, as he and Hannibal stood in front of Jack Crawford’s Persocom shop, staring at the door. The front lights were off and the _closed_ sign illuminated, but Will knew Jack was somewhere inside, waiting. He reached over, settled his hand between Hannibal’s shoulder blades and rubbed gently. “Are you okay with that?”

Hannibal seemed to think for a moment. “Do you want to know me, Will?” The brunet quirked an eyebrow, thought about the handful of other, more normal ways Hannibal could have phrased the question, then brushed it off.

“Of course.” The Persocom swallowed, nodded, and Will pulled back, pushing on the door and finding it unlocked. They stepped inside, and a moment later Jack emerged from the back, the sleeves of his button down rolled up. He smiled, motioning for them to come back, and Will led Hannibal into the back. Jack stopped at a large, vacant table, patted it once, and Hannibal hopped up.

“I’d like to get a look at his actual hardware,” Jack said, “If you’re okay with me opening him up. You’ll need to strip from the waist up.” He’d given Will no time to digest his words, had turned right back to Hannibal and the Persocom pulled his sweater off, leaving it on the table, then began work on his button down.

“Open him up?” Will asked, his voice raising slightly. “What do you mean? Are you going to cut him?”

“If I can’t find a seam then yes.” Hannibal settled his shirt aside, but Will was rushing forward, pressing back against the table and trying to shield Hannibal.

“No,” he said, blatantly alarmed, “No you’re not going to cut him open. Just the tests like Brian was trying to run. You can’t hurt him.” Jack stopped, eyeing Will, mildly intrigued, as Hannibal reached out, placed a hand on Will’s shoulder.

“It is okay Will,” he whispered, leaning closer- breathing into his curls and his ear, and Will was forced to suppress his shudder. “You want to know me. Looking inside will.” His hand tightened, and he nuzzled Will’s curls, inhaling his scent- Will knew, and it made his stomach knot up tight. “Like I look inside.”

Will thought of the anatomy book he had caught Hannibal rereading that morning, and felt a wave of sickness wash over him. There was something obscene about that kind of intimacy, getting a look inside Hannibal, at the wires and gears that allowed him to function.

“Okay,” Will finally said, stepping aside. “Okay. If Hannibal is fine with it, then I am too. But...be careful. Don’t hurt him.”

“He won’t even feel it,” Jack said, instructing Hannibal to raise his left arm. The blond did, and Jack ran callused fingers along his side, feeling the skin, nodding to himself. Then, once he had reached Hannibal’s hip, reached across the table and lifted what looked like a small pen. “Persocoms all have seams. They vary where they are, and they’re not something you can really feel unless you know exactly what to look for. But with the right coded frequency and touch, they release.” Jack tapped the pen he was holding, the tip a glowing blue, and then very carefully ran it up along Hannibal’s side. The blond watched, his eyes showing no feeling. It was unnerving, Will realized. “Would you lay down now, Hannibal?”

The blond lowered his arm, did as he was asked, and Jack ran the pen- Will wished he had a better word for it, kept picturing Jack dragging horrible, cheap ink along Hannibal’s perfect skin- along Hannibal’s belly.

“You shouldn’t feel anything,” Jack said, “your sensory programming should have shut off for this region of your body- but let me know if you feel anything at all.” Hannibal nodded, and Will stared with wide eyes- pupils nearly gone- as Jack pulled flesh back, allowing it to lay against the table, revealing Hannibal’s insides.

Will’s head went light, dizzy, full of a loud static. He took a step back, throat closing up. He felt like he should have been screaming- he and Hannibal both- like there should have been blood. Instead there was compacted wiring, cushioned by what looked like tissue and muscle, lights and the gentle working of gears.

“Alright?” Jack asked, and Hannibal nodded, pushing up on his elbows and looking inside, pretty lips parted. He looked fascinated- and Will realized he probably was. He was learning himself, in that moment.

_Would he have to cut me open to really see me?_ Will shook the thought away, terrified at himself for it, and forced himself to take the step back to the table, reaching out and gently touching Hannibal’s arm. The blond’s eyes flicked to him, then back to Jack, who was poking around, making little affirmative noises at the wires.

“He’s got some mean hardware,” he finally said, “I’ve never seen a model like this.” He ran his fingers along some of the metal, pushing it aside and pointing to what looked like regular, human tissue- so out of place that Will’s head spun again. “Look at this. He was built with a stomach. Different from you and I, but he can eat. Anything that goes in will be broken down into pure energy. He can charge his battery by eating.”

“He sleeps too,” Will whispered, and Jack nodded.

“Conserves battery life with most persocoms. I dare say with him, recharges as well, thanks to this. He’s set to function like a regular human.” Jack poked around more, then stepped back for a moment, picking up a regular pen and making some notes. As he did so, Hannibal reached up, allowed his fingers to ghost along a bundle of wires. Will watched as he ran his fingers along metal, glanced up to see Hannibal’s eyes alight with wonder over himself. He grabbed a bunch of wires, examining each color.

“I see me,” he whispered, glancing at Will. “I want to see you.” Will shivered, an odd tremor of terror and desire wracking him, and he reached out, took Hannibal’s hand and guided it away from his body, choosing to hold it as Jack turned around, unaware of what had happened.

“Still feel nothing?” Hannibal nodded. “Good. I’m going to close you up and get you situated for some software testing.” Jack situated the layer of flesh and tissue back into place, grabbing his pen and running it along seams that Will couldn’t see, once everything was in place. Once he had Hannibal thoroughly closed, he set the item aside. “Make sure his feeling as returned, while I set up my computer.” He took a few steps away, and Will leaned over, pressing his fingertips along Hannibal’s bare stomach.

“Feel it?” The blond nodded. “Anything hurt?” A shake of his head, and Will gave a lazy smile, fingers trailing to the waist band of his pants. He glanced at Jack, who was thoroughly entranced by his computer, and dipped his head down, pressing his mouth to the flesh that felt so soft, so real, Will wasn’t able to connect the idea that it was open, only moments prior. Hannibal inhaled, and Will’s smile grew. “And that?”

“I felt it.” Hannibal pushed up, gently, and Will felt his body turning to fire. He pulled back before he could cause more damage, before he could give in and continue to kiss at exposed skin. He turned his back instead as Hannibal reached for his shirt, taking a deep breath and telling himself this was all too much for him to handle. It was doing things to his mind.

_I want to see you_.

Will bit his lip, a groan in his throat. He was hot, thinking of Hannibal seeing him, nothing but naked skin for those hands to explore. Yet, there was a lace of terror- _He didn’t mean like he was seeing himself. He can’t. He doesn’t want to open me up_.

Will swallowed the terror and turned, found Hannibal adjusting his sweater, but fully dressed again- and Jack, working one of his ears open, plugging cords into it. Once one ear was full, he moved to open the other, stopping as it clicked open.

“His switch.” Will raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm? Yeah, it’s behind that ear. I worry about accidentally hitting it sometimes, but I’ve heard a lot of Persocoms have a whole routine you have to go through to shut them off.”

“You’re correct about that, but that’s not my concern. It looks as if it’s jammed.” He pushed Hannibal’s hair back, peering behind his metal ear, and Will leaned over, finding the small, circular shape- stuck pressed in, from the first night Will had found him.

“Is it dangerous to him?” Will asked, his heart jumping for a few beats, until Jack shook his head.

“No. It just means...you can’t turn him off.” He released his hair, began plugging more cords into this ear, and Will exhaled, relieved.

“Oh, well that’s fine. I couldn’t even imagine turning him off.” He glanced at Hannibal, who smiled at him- charming and all sweet again, like a different person was sitting in fonrt of him than was only a minute prior.

_Persocom, not person_. But Will barely heard his own mental correction. Instead, he took one of Hannibal’s hands, as Jack made his way back to his computer, stroking the blond’s knuckles affectionately and watching his smile grow.

“You’re doing a good job,” Will whispered, as Jack began typing, as he heard the computer give a few sounds in response. “Does it feel like anything?”

Hannibal gave a gentle shake of his head. “No. There’s nothing.” Will nodded, squeezed his hand, then glanced over at Jack.

“He does have firewalls,” he said without looking over. “A lot of them. More than I’ve ever seen on any model. But I’m getting a few readings.” He began typing, Hannibal exhaling softly as he finished, and suddenly the screen going to near static, then black. Jack frowned, cursed, then stood up, shaking his head. “And I guess a few is all I’ll get.” He stood up, taking the few steps over. “Go ahead and unplug yourself, Hannibal. Will, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Uh, sure.” Will pulled his hand free, left Hannibal to work the wires from his ears and followed Jack through the back workshop, to the front of the shop- the door closing feeling as if it echoed through his skull and bones.

“He’s remarkable,” Jack said, turning to face Will, the two behind the counter. “His hardware and his software. Unlike any model I’ve seen. Custom built, for sure. The amount of money that had to go into him is substantial.”

“Seriously?” Will leaned his hip against the counter. “But then why the hell would anyone just throw him out? I mean sure, he was a bit of a mess at first, but he’s...well, he’s learning so much now. So quickly.”

“I didn’t get to see much, but I can tell you this much- his learning software is beyond comprehension. He could teach himself anything. Leave him with a dictionary in another language, maybe one of those DVDs that teaches you how to say basic words, or a book in that language, and I bet he’ll be speaking it within a day. He’s superhuman.” Will nodded, not exactly feeling shock but pride welling up in his chest. Hannibal was special.

“Could someone be looking for him?” Will asked, digging a hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out a delicate bracelet. He ran his finger along the plate that read Hannibal’s name, then passed it to Jack. “He was wearing that. Do you think maybe someone didn’t throw him out, but he was stolen?”

Jack looked at the bracelet, turning it over in his hand, and a dark veil passed over his eyes, lids growing slightly heavy and his mouth falling into a line. Will saw it, furrowed his brow, and Jack clutched at the bracelet.

“No, he wasn’t taken. He was thrown out. He must have malfunctioned.” He shifted, seeming uncomfortable. “I’m going to give you some advice, Will. And I hope you take it to heart. He’s a powerful machine, if something goes wrong, it could be disastrous. And I’m sure something did go wrong- you don’t throw that kind of money around and then just discard the end result.”

“So what are you saying?” Will felt suddenly defensive, squaring off his shoulders. Jack huffed a sigh.

“Don’t get attached, Will. Don’t let yourself forget he’s a machine. Don’t ever forget, he’s got a button that can turn him off and just put a stop to it all.” Will stared, aghast, wanted to scream that the idea was absurd. But then Jack was pressing the bracelet back into his hand, grabbing a pad of paper and scribbling something onto it. “Here. This is someone I think you should go see.” He passed the paper to Will, who didn’t even look at it, just stuffed it into his pocket with the bracelet. As he did so, Hannibal opened the door from the workshop, stepping out and glancing between the two, the smile he had worn turning to a frown quickly.

“Will?” he whispered, and the brunet reached for him, held his hand out. Hannibal took a step towards him, slipping his hand into Will’s, and the brunet tugged him closer.

“Thanks for the help,” Will said, glaring at Jack, “We’ll head out now, leave you to your work.” He guided Hannibal around the counter, out the door without so much as a glance back. Jack watched them go, disappear into the cool evening until they there lost in the crowd.

*

Hannibal didn’t question Will, who walked them with a tight, quick precision back to the apartment. He instead took Will’s arm, giving him his warmth against the chill, only causing Will to feel angrier over Jack’s suggestion.

Once inside, Hannibal started on dinner, and Will excused himself to his room, to _work on a paper_. Instead, he pulled the bracelet and paper from his pocket, cramming them in his dresser drawer without looking at them, then sat on his bed, his head in his hands. There was a throbbing ache behind his eyes, and he wanted to curl up and sleep for a century. How could someone actually suggest turning Hannibal off? _How_? He was so charming, so sweet- watching him learn left Will with a swell of pride in his chest and an ache in his belly all at once.

He flopped back onto his bed, still in his jacket, his scarf, and stared up at the ceiling. He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, but at some point the apartment door opened and he heard Beverly, greeting Hannibal and telling him something smelled _amazing_. The rest of her words were mumbled, but her footsteps to his door was crisp and clear, the knock she gave- the sound of the hinges moving before Will had granted her entrance.

“Hey,” she said, settling down on the bed and reaching out, rubbing his arm. “You don’t look so good. Did it not go well?”

“It went fine,” Will whispered, then added, “I don’t really want to talk about it tho.” He didn’t want to recount any of Jack’s words t Beverly. Thankfully, she nodded, rubbing his arm again and squeezing.

“Well okay then. Hannibal said dinner is almost ready, to drag your butt on out, he looks pretty proud of it.” Will nodded, watched her stand up, and then sat up himself.

“Beverly.” She turned, glancing at him. “Remember when you meant to take Italian and then dropped it in a week?” She laughed.

“Yeah, what do my academic failures have to do with anything?”

“Still have any of the material.” She nodded. “Great. Can I borrow it? Or can you give it to Hannibal for the night. He uh...he’s running out of stuff to read, and I can’t get back to the library until tomorrow.” She smiled.

“Sure thing, I’ll get it after dinner.” She turned, left him at that, and Will sighed, leaning his elbows onto his thighs, head into his hands. He was curious, if Jack had been right. If Hannibal could learn a language in a day- a night, even. And if he could? Would Will still be immensely proud over him, ruffling his hair and giving him a kiss when Hannibal asked- he knew he would ask.

Or would he be terrified? Because, Jack was right, Hannibal was superhuman, a god among his technology, his programming. He was beautiful, and a little terrifying.

Very terrifying.

_But he’s never hurt you_ Will reminded himself. _He’s never hurt anyone, I doubt he could_. Will stood up, took a breath and made his way for his door, grasping and holding onto those thoughts, repeating them over and over- thinking Jack was just crazy, just in awe over the Persocom. Maybe he wanted Will to want to get rid of him, to take him for himself.

Will opened his bedroom door, staring out at Hannibal working in the kitchen, their one and only large knife in his hand as he carefully sliced something. Will sucked on his lip, Hannibal’s voice but his own words ringing through his mind, above all other thoughts-

_I dream in red_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear, things are suddenly getting less fluffy...

**Author's Note:**

> I know Hannibal seems very ooc at first, but I promise, we're going to see aspects of his canon character coming through soon c:
> 
> As always, you can fine me on [Tumblr](http://madnizilla.tumblr.com/)! And thanks for reading! <3


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